❓ Opposition questions the government's financial management, citing budget blowouts and social issues. The Premier defends the government's record, highlighting debt reduction, cost-of-living measures, and investments in health and infrastructure, while criticizing the previous government's performance.
AnsweredQoN 308Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE
BUDGET 2024–25 — PRIORITIES
308. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I
refer to the government mindlessly blowing the biggest boom in Western Australia's
history, with excessive blowouts —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Just wait, please, member. The question is addressed to the Premier; it does
not require a response from anyone else. Please continue.
Ms L. METTAM : Thank you,
Madam Speaker. I refer to the government mindlessly blowing the biggest boom Western
Australia has ever experienced, with excessive blowouts on projects such as
Metronet, while violent crime spirals out of control, elective surgery
waitlists are at record high levels and families with newborn babies are forced
to live in tents.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Ms L. METTAM : Will the
Premier accept that after eight Labor budgets, his government has dropped the
ball, its priorities are simply wrong and Western Australians are
unnecessarily struggling when they should not have to?
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
The Premier.
Ms A. Sanderson interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Health, the Premier has the call.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Premier,
unfortunately we had a couple of interjections from your ministers, which of
course provoked a response again from the Leader of the Opposition. I ask just
you to respond.
BUDGET 2024–25 — PRIORITIES
308. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I
refer to the government mindlessly blowing the biggest boom in Western Australia's
history, with excessive blowouts —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Just wait, please, member. The question is addressed to the Premier; it does
not require a response from anyone else. Please continue.
Ms L. METTAM : Thank you,
Madam Speaker. I refer to the government mindlessly blowing the biggest boom Western
Australia has ever experienced, with excessive blowouts on projects such as
Metronet, while violent crime spirals out of control, elective surgery
waitlists are at record high levels and families with newborn babies are forced
to live in tents.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Ms L. METTAM : Will the
Premier accept that after eight Labor budgets, his government has dropped the
ball, its priorities are simply wrong and Western Australians are
unnecessarily struggling when they should not have to?
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
The Premier.
Ms A. Sanderson interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Health, the Premier has the call.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Premier,
unfortunately we had a couple of interjections from your ministers, which of
course provoked a response again from the Leader of the Opposition. I ask just
you to respond.
AnswerView source ↗
Madam
Speaker, I do not know where to start, to be perfectly frank. Under the
previous government, there was debt and deficit as far as the eye could see—it
was right across the forward estimates. Debt under the Labor government is
$15 billion less than it was projected to be under the previous Liberal–National
government. We have saved $5 billion for WA taxpayers because we have looked
after the state's finances. By making sure that we continued to protect
the state's finances, that has provided us with the opportunity to
provide $462 million in cost-of-living measures, including our WA student
assistance payment and another electricity credit for all Western Australians.
We are also continuing to make public transport affordable, and regional Western
Australians now enjoy our nation's first regional capped airfare
scheme. Of course, we also increased the travel card for regional pensioners by
a hundred bucks. It is not bad so far.
If the Leader of the Liberal Party
wants to talk about spending, $3.2 billion is going into health care. The
member talked about elective surgery. One of the best things about last week
was when the Minister for Health was on her feet describing the advances in
elective surgery. What did we hear from the other side? We heard crickets from
the other side. All the other side can do is to try to be negative. Members
opposite ignore the fact that ambulance ramping has been reduced and elective
surgery waiting times have been reduced, on average, by about 30 per cent, all while we continue to see huge investment in all
our social infrastructure, whether it be in education, health or training.
We know the form of members
opposite: we saw the utility price hikes and hikes in fees and charges under
the previous government. Let us go through those. It increased power prices by
a whopping 90 per cent, increased water rates by 67 per cent and car rego went
up by $183 a year. That government cut the cost-of-living rebate to over 300 000
pensioners and seniors. We have since reinstated that program, but you cut it.
Ms S.F. McGurk : They cut
financial counselling.
Mr R.H. COOK : The former
government cut financial counsellors. It abolished the seniors safety and
security rebate. It increased land taxes to
the tune of $1.5 billion. Of course, its record in workforce training and
development, in TAFE, is now the stuff of legend—a 500 per cent
increase in fees for TAFE students. It was no wonder that we saw traineeships
and apprenticeships plummet under the previous government. It punished
households. Members can look at a graph that I just happen to have on me. Under
the previous government, there was a $1 421 increase in fees and charges; under my government, there has been a $1 058
decrease. As Foghorn Leghorn said, the numbers do not lie; we cannot
argue with the maths.
The
fact is that we have managed the state's finances better, we have
looked after those who are doing it tough a nd we have supercharged the
economy by making sure that we invest in people by giving them opportunities to
train, learn skills and get the jobs that are out there. Most importantly of
all, Western Australians are benefiting from this great government.
Speaker, I do not know where to start, to be perfectly frank. Under the
previous government, there was debt and deficit as far as the eye could see—it
was right across the forward estimates. Debt under the Labor government is
$15 billion less than it was projected to be under the previous Liberal–National
government. We have saved $5 billion for WA taxpayers because we have looked
after the state's finances. By making sure that we continued to protect
the state's finances, that has provided us with the opportunity to
provide $462 million in cost-of-living measures, including our WA student
assistance payment and another electricity credit for all Western Australians.
We are also continuing to make public transport affordable, and regional Western
Australians now enjoy our nation's first regional capped airfare
scheme. Of course, we also increased the travel card for regional pensioners by
a hundred bucks. It is not bad so far.
If the Leader of the Liberal Party
wants to talk about spending, $3.2 billion is going into health care. The
member talked about elective surgery. One of the best things about last week
was when the Minister for Health was on her feet describing the advances in
elective surgery. What did we hear from the other side? We heard crickets from
the other side. All the other side can do is to try to be negative. Members
opposite ignore the fact that ambulance ramping has been reduced and elective
surgery waiting times have been reduced, on average, by about 30 per cent, all while we continue to see huge investment in all
our social infrastructure, whether it be in education, health or training.
We know the form of members
opposite: we saw the utility price hikes and hikes in fees and charges under
the previous government. Let us go through those. It increased power prices by
a whopping 90 per cent, increased water rates by 67 per cent and car rego went
up by $183 a year. That government cut the cost-of-living rebate to over 300 000
pensioners and seniors. We have since reinstated that program, but you cut it.
Ms S.F. McGurk : They cut
financial counselling.
Mr R.H. COOK : The former
government cut financial counsellors. It abolished the seniors safety and
security rebate. It increased land taxes to
the tune of $1.5 billion. Of course, its record in workforce training and
development, in TAFE, is now the stuff of legend—a 500 per cent
increase in fees for TAFE students. It was no wonder that we saw traineeships
and apprenticeships plummet under the previous government. It punished
households. Members can look at a graph that I just happen to have on me. Under
the previous government, there was a $1 421 increase in fees and charges; under my government, there has been a $1 058
decrease. As Foghorn Leghorn said, the numbers do not lie; we cannot
argue with the maths.
The
fact is that we have managed the state's finances better, we have
looked after those who are doing it tough a nd we have supercharged the
economy by making sure that we invest in people by giving them opportunities to
train, learn skills and get the jobs that are out there. Most importantly of
all, Western Australians are benefiting from this great government.
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