The Treasurer outlines the government's plan to inform the community about the state budget, emphasizing accessibility through online resources and a cost-effective advertising campaign, while contrasting it with previous administrations' practices.

AnsweredQoN 977Legislative Assembly
Asked
14 May 2002
Member
Portfolio
Treasurer

QuestionView source ↗

STATE BUDGET, INFORMING THE COMMUNITY
What steps will the Government take to inform the community about the state budget? Mr RIPPER

AnswerView source ↗

The delivery of the state budget is an important event in the political calendar, when the community can see whether the Government has met community priorities and delivered on its election commitments. The Government does not fear scrutiny of the budget, which is open, honest and accountable. The community will see record investment in the key areas of education, health and community safety, and that, contrary to the assertions of the Leader of the Opposition at the time the last budget was delivered, the $852 million cuts to waste and low-priority programs have been achieved and will be delivered. When the budget is brought down on Thursday, 16 May, it will be posted on the Internet, with a search facility by postcode, so that Western Australians can see what is happening in their own area. Last year about 13 000 people accessed the budget web site. There also will be an information campaign with advertisements in metropolitan, suburban and country newspapers highlighting key elements in the budget and pointing to the web site and hotline numbers for more information. That campaign is expected to cost less than $100 000 and will be done differently from the way the coalition has done it in previous years. The advertising will be informative and will not contain photographs of the Premier or the Treasurer. Dr Gallop: Oh! Mr RIPPER: I am sorry, Premier. However, it is a non-political campaign. Agencies have been advised to refrain from publishing glossy brochures advertising aspects of the budget. We are cracking down on the glossy promotion of agencies that occurred under our predecessors. That is an unnecessary additional expense given the amount of information that will be available online. I hope that members will find the budget papers informative, and that the additional information and the web site facility will enable all members to advise their constituents of the impact the budget will have on them.
Mr RIPPER replied: The delivery of the state budget is an important event in the political calendar, when the community can see whether the Government has met community priorities and delivered on its election commitments. The Government does not fear scrutiny of the budget, which is open, honest and accountable. The community will see record investment in the key areas of education, health and community safety, and that, contrary to the assertions of the Leader of the Opposition at the time the last budget was delivered, the $852 million cuts to waste and low-priority programs have been achieved and will be delivered. When the budget is brought down on Thursday, 16 May, it will be posted on the Internet, with a search facility by postcode, so that Western Australians can see what is happening in their own area. Last year about 13 000 people accessed the budget web site. There also will be an information campaign with advertisements in metropolitan, suburban and country newspapers highlighting key elements in the budget and pointing to the web site and hotline numbers for more information. That campaign is expected to cost less than $100 000 and will be done differently from the way the coalition has done it in previous years. The advertising will be informative and will not contain photographs of the Premier or the Treasurer. Dr Gallop: Oh! Mr RIPPER: I am sorry, Premier. However, it is a non-political campaign. Agencies have been advised to refrain from publishing glossy brochures advertising aspects of the budget. We are cracking down on the glossy promotion of agencies that occurred under our predecessors. That is an unnecessary additional expense given the amount of information that will be available online. I hope that members will find the budget papers informative, and that the additional information and the web site facility will enable all members to advise their constituents of the impact the budget will have on them.
The delivery of the state budget is an important event in the political calendar, when the community can see whether the Government has met community priorities and delivered on its election commitments. The Government does not fear scrutiny of the budget, which is open, honest and accountable. The community will see record investment in the key areas of education, health and community safety, and that, contrary to the assertions of the Leader of the Opposition at the time the last budget was delivered, the $852 million cuts to waste and low-priority programs have been achieved and will be delivered. When the budget is brought down on Thursday, 16 May, it will be posted on the Internet, with a search facility by postcode, so that Western Australians can see what is happening in their own area. Last year about 13 000 people accessed the budget web site. There also will be an information campaign with advertisements in metropolitan, suburban and country newspapers highlighting key elements in the budget and pointing to the web site and hotline numbers for more information. That campaign is expected to cost less than $100 000 and will be done differently from the way the coalition has done it in previous years. The advertising will be informative and will not contain photographs of the Premier or the Treasurer. Dr Gallop: Oh! Mr RIPPER: I am sorry, Premier. However, it is a non-political campaign. Agencies have been advised to refrain from publishing glossy brochures advertising aspects of the budget. We are cracking down on the glossy promotion of agencies that occurred under our predecessors. That is an unnecessary additional expense given the amount of information that will be available online. I hope that members will find the budget papers informative, and that the additional information and the web site facility will enable all members to advise their constituents of the impact the budget will have on them.
When the budget is brought down on Thursday, 16 May, it will be posted on the Internet, with a search facility by postcode, so that Western Australians can see what is happening in their own area. Last year about 13 000 people accessed the budget web site. There also will be an information campaign with advertisements in metropolitan, suburban and country newspapers highlighting key elements in the budget and pointing to the web site and hotline numbers for more information. That campaign is expected to cost less than $100 000 and will be done differently from the way the coalition has done it in previous years. The advertising will be informative and will not contain photographs of the Premier or the Treasurer. Dr Gallop: Oh! Mr RIPPER: I am sorry, Premier. However, it is a non-political campaign. Agencies have been advised to refrain from publishing glossy brochures advertising aspects of the budget. We are cracking down on the glossy promotion of agencies that occurred under our predecessors. That is an unnecessary additional expense given the amount of information that will be available online. I hope that members will find the budget papers informative, and that the additional information and the web site facility will enable all members to advise their constituents of the impact the budget will have on them.
Dr Gallop: Oh! Mr RIPPER: I am sorry, Premier. However, it is a non-political campaign. Agencies have been advised to refrain from publishing glossy brochures advertising aspects of the budget. We are cracking down on the glossy promotion of agencies that occurred under our predecessors. That is an unnecessary additional expense given the amount of information that will be available online. I hope that members will find the budget papers informative, and that the additional information and the web site facility will enable all members to advise their constituents of the impact the budget will have on them.
Mr RIPPER: I am sorry, Premier. However, it is a non-political campaign. Agencies have been advised to refrain from publishing glossy brochures advertising aspects of the budget. We are cracking down on the glossy promotion of agencies that occurred under our predecessors. That is an unnecessary additional expense given the amount of information that will be available online. I hope that members will find the budget papers informative, and that the additional information and the web site facility will enable all members to advise their constituents of the impact the budget will have on them.

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