Mr Trenorden questions the Premier on the timing of the WA government signing an agreement, likely related to salinity management. The Premier defends the delay, citing concerns over the Commonwealth's proposed spending allocation, particularly on public communication.

AnsweredQoN 710Legislative Assembly
Asked
19 February 2002
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

I ask a supplementary question. When will the Government sign the agreement? Dr GALLOP

AnswerView source ↗

The Government will sign the agreement when it suits the interests of Western Australia. The other States have signed but no money has yet been forwarded. Mr Trenorden: South Australia is now being funded. Dr GALLOP: Yes, it is receiving some funding; it is receiving very little of the total but it is getting some. The other States are not yet receiving money because they are not happy with the way in which the Commonwealth wants to spend it. I will illustrate to the House why the Government is fighting this issue. The Commonwealth wants to spend $10 million on communicating its national salinity plan to the public. That will really help with the problem of salinity, and it will really help the people of Australia and the farming communities! Yet the Leader of the National Party wants me to support the Commonwealth on this issue. He must get his act together. The Leader of the National Party must support the Government on this issue because the Government supports Western Australia.
Dr GALLOP replied: The Government will sign the agreement when it suits the interests of Western Australia. The other States have signed but no money has yet been forwarded. Mr Trenorden: South Australia is now being funded. Dr GALLOP: Yes, it is receiving some funding; it is receiving very little of the total but it is getting some. The other States are not yet receiving money because they are not happy with the way in which the Commonwealth wants to spend it. I will illustrate to the House why the Government is fighting this issue. The Commonwealth wants to spend $10 million on communicating its national salinity plan to the public. That will really help with the problem of salinity, and it will really help the people of Australia and the farming communities! Yet the Leader of the National Party wants me to support the Commonwealth on this issue. He must get his act together. The Leader of the National Party must support the Government on this issue because the Government supports Western Australia.
The Government will sign the agreement when it suits the interests of Western Australia. The other States have signed but no money has yet been forwarded. Mr Trenorden: South Australia is now being funded. Dr GALLOP: Yes, it is receiving some funding; it is receiving very little of the total but it is getting some. The other States are not yet receiving money because they are not happy with the way in which the Commonwealth wants to spend it. I will illustrate to the House why the Government is fighting this issue. The Commonwealth wants to spend $10 million on communicating its national salinity plan to the public. That will really help with the problem of salinity, and it will really help the people of Australia and the farming communities! Yet the Leader of the National Party wants me to support the Commonwealth on this issue. He must get his act together. The Leader of the National Party must support the Government on this issue because the Government supports Western Australia.
Mr Trenorden: South Australia is now being funded. Dr GALLOP: Yes, it is receiving some funding; it is receiving very little of the total but it is getting some. The other States are not yet receiving money because they are not happy with the way in which the Commonwealth wants to spend it. I will illustrate to the House why the Government is fighting this issue. The Commonwealth wants to spend $10 million on communicating its national salinity plan to the public. That will really help with the problem of salinity, and it will really help the people of Australia and the farming communities! Yet the Leader of the National Party wants me to support the Commonwealth on this issue. He must get his act together. The Leader of the National Party must support the Government on this issue because the Government supports Western Australia.
Dr GALLOP: Yes, it is receiving some funding; it is receiving very little of the total but it is getting some. The other States are not yet receiving money because they are not happy with the way in which the Commonwealth wants to spend it. I will illustrate to the House why the Government is fighting this issue. The Commonwealth wants to spend $10 million on communicating its national salinity plan to the public. That will really help with the problem of salinity, and it will really help the people of Australia and the farming communities! Yet the Leader of the National Party wants me to support the Commonwealth on this issue. He must get his act together. The Leader of the National Party must support the Government on this issue because the Government supports Western Australia.

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