❓ Mr Rundle asks the Premier if he will work with a Nationals Senator to implement a higher education scheme for regional dwellers. The Premier responds with skepticism about the Senator's chances and humorously suggests Nationals MPs should live in their electorates.
AnsweredQoN 391Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL DWELLERS —
HIGHER EDUCATION CONTRIBUTION SCHEME CONCESSIONS — NATIONALS'
SENATE CANDIDATE POLICY
391. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I do
regard regional education as a substantive issue.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Will the
Premier agree to work with ''Big'' Nick or whoever is in power in
order to make his higher education contribution scheme plan a reality
regardless of who is Prime Minister on Saturday night?
HIGHER EDUCATION CONTRIBUTION SCHEME CONCESSIONS — NATIONALS'
SENATE CANDIDATE POLICY
391. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I do
regard regional education as a substantive issue.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Will the
Premier agree to work with ''Big'' Nick or whoever is in power in
order to make his higher education contribution scheme plan a reality
regardless of who is Prime Minister on Saturday night?
AnswerView source ↗
If ''Big'' Nick is
elected to the Senate, I am going to walk east! I have not looked at the Senate
betting odds on ''Big'' Nick, but I suspect that they are not
good. Obviously, we will always work in the interests of Western Australia to
get the best deal for Western Australia that we possibly can whoever is in
power in Canberra. As I said to the member, perhaps, last week, we have secured
more support out of Canberra than any government in living memory—and
it was a Liberal–National government! Imagine what is going to happen
when there is a Labor government in Canberra. We will be working cooperatively
to get a better deal for a state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I worked
cooperatively with ''Big'' Mal. I met ''Big''
Barnaby, but I cannot say that I had a great deal to do with ''Big''
Barnaby. I had a cooperative relationship with ''Big'' Mick, the
Leader of the National Party. I secured enormous amounts of money from ''Big''
Paul Fletcher. So we have a history of getting more resources for Western Australia
out of people in Canberra.
Earlier the member asked me a question
about whether we would encourage people to live in the bush. I support people
living in the bush. I would love to see some of the National Party MPs move to
the bush.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : That would be
great. If some of Nationals went —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Nationals WA!
Mr J.N. Carey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Perth!
Mr M. McGOWAN : If some of the
Nationals moved out of Mt Lawley, they might actually provide some economic
activity out there in the bush. If they actually moved in the towns they
represent, and went bought their groceries, milk and motor vehicles, rather
than hanging around the inner-city latte area—with all due respect to
the member for Perth—maybe they would provide more activity out there
in their electorates. My advice to Nationals MPs is to move out to their
electorates; they might learn something about them and they might support the
local economies.
elected to the Senate, I am going to walk east! I have not looked at the Senate
betting odds on ''Big'' Nick, but I suspect that they are not
good. Obviously, we will always work in the interests of Western Australia to
get the best deal for Western Australia that we possibly can whoever is in
power in Canberra. As I said to the member, perhaps, last week, we have secured
more support out of Canberra than any government in living memory—and
it was a Liberal–National government! Imagine what is going to happen
when there is a Labor government in Canberra. We will be working cooperatively
to get a better deal for a state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I worked
cooperatively with ''Big'' Mal. I met ''Big''
Barnaby, but I cannot say that I had a great deal to do with ''Big''
Barnaby. I had a cooperative relationship with ''Big'' Mick, the
Leader of the National Party. I secured enormous amounts of money from ''Big''
Paul Fletcher. So we have a history of getting more resources for Western Australia
out of people in Canberra.
Earlier the member asked me a question
about whether we would encourage people to live in the bush. I support people
living in the bush. I would love to see some of the National Party MPs move to
the bush.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : That would be
great. If some of Nationals went —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Nationals WA!
Mr J.N. Carey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Perth!
Mr M. McGOWAN : If some of the
Nationals moved out of Mt Lawley, they might actually provide some economic
activity out there in the bush. If they actually moved in the towns they
represent, and went bought their groceries, milk and motor vehicles, rather
than hanging around the inner-city latte area—with all due respect to
the member for Perth—maybe they would provide more activity out there
in their electorates. My advice to Nationals MPs is to move out to their
electorates; they might learn something about them and they might support the
local economies.
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