❓ Opposition Leader Barnett questions Treasurer Ripper about WA's tax competitiveness, citing increased per capita taxation. Ripper defends the government's economic management, highlighting strong economic growth and low unemployment.
AnsweredQoN 537Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the Treasurer to the Government’s financial results report for 2003-04 which was posted, without fanfare, on the Treasury web site. It states that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria. Mr J.N. Hyde: Because the economy has grown. You know nothing. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr J.N. Hyde: Because the economy has grown. You know nothing. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr J.N. Hyde: Because the economy has grown. You know nothing. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr J.N. Hyde interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The SPEAKER: Order, member for Perth! Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr C.J. BARNETT: It is fantastic, is it not? This guy is amazing. Shall I address you, Mr Speaker, or the member for Perth? The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The figures state that Western Australia’s taxation revenue per capita is now higher than that in Victoria, earning Western Australia the dubious honour of being the second-highest taxing State per capita. (1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(1) Will the Treasurer concede that the loss of tax competitiveness is a major failing of economic management in this State? (2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(2) With stamp duty levels on conveyances and transfers now rising to almost 10 per cent of total revenue, will the Treasurer admit that Labor’s increase in property tax is the major reason for our loss of tax competitiveness? (3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(3) Given that Western Australia is now above the six weighted average for taxation revenue per capita, will the Treasurer admit that, under Labor, Western Australia has gone from being the second lowest in terms of tax competitiveness to now the second highest in terms of loss of revenue? The Treasurer likes graphs, and he can see from the graph I am showing him that Western Australia is now the second-highest taxing State under this Treasurer. Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
(1)-(3) I find it hard to reconcile the statement that there has been a significant failure in economic management when this State now has the lowest unemployment rate in a quarter of a century. Come on! The Leader of the Opposition should get a grip on reality. There has been an eight per cent growth in the domestic economy and a growth in the total economy of nearly seven per cent, and we have the lowest debt on record, yet the Leader of the Opposition says there has been a significant failure in economic management. What planet is the Leader of the Opposition on? A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
A government member: Nostradamus. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Yes, Nostradamus. He has certainly lost his grip on reality. One thing that has happened is that we have had significant growth in gross domestic product per capita. The economy is going much more strongly; therefore, more revenue has come in. That is exactly what has happened. There is another measure of tax competitiveness. Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Several opposition members interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I do not know what you can do, Mr Speaker, to keep the farmyard on that side of the House quiet. All sorts of animal noises have emerged from that direction; however, there has not been much in the way of rational debate. Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
Another measure is tax as a percentage of gross state product. Our tax revenue as a percentage of gross state product is 4.6 per cent, which is the second lowest in the country. Indeed, only Tasmania beats us on that measure. The truth of the matter is that the economy is going extremely well, but we are not taking a large percentage of that economy. Certainly we compare very favourably with the other States. Our gross state product proportion is 4.6 per cent, second only to Tasmania. The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
The second point I make is this: we have the latest figures for Western Australia. New figures will come in for Victoria and other States. However, when all the figures are in, members will find that we have maintained our ranking on the gross state product measure and that we have also maintained our ranking on the tax per capita measure. In the meantime, if we are talking about economic management, the relevant figure is the impact on the economy. We have the lowest impact on the economy, second only to Tasmania. That shows the phenomenal economic growth that the Leader of the Opposition just cannot bear to talk about. Why can he not bear to talk about it? It is because it has grown 17.5 per cent in real terms since we came to power. The economy in Western Australia is now 17.5 per cent bigger in real terms. What was it when the Leader of the Opposition was the Minister for State Development? It was getting smaller.
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