Opposition questions the government's tax increases given a budget surplus. The Premier deflects, attacking the opposition's past financial management and the questioner's performance as Education Minister.

AnsweredQoN 512Legislative Assembly
Asked
26 August 2004
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

I ask a supplementary question. Given the likely surplus for 2003-04, did the Government mislead the people of this State when it imposed massive tax increases in its first three budgets? Dr G.I. GALLOP

AnswerView source ↗

That is extraordinary! That is the sort of attitude that led to the deficits under the Liberals. At last we have a Government that takes financial management seriously. That question came from the former Minister for Education, whose performance was so bad that the then Under Treasurer, Mr John Langoulant, wrote to the Premier of the day, Richard Court, complaining about the Minister for Education’s failure to stick to the set targets. This Government has a strong commitment to good financial management. We will not throw that away in the same way the Liberal Party did when it was in government.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: That is extraordinary! That is the sort of attitude that led to the deficits under the Liberals. At last we have a Government that takes financial management seriously. That question came from the former Minister for Education, whose performance was so bad that the then Under Treasurer, Mr John Langoulant, wrote to the Premier of the day, Richard Court, complaining about the Minister for Education’s failure to stick to the set targets. This Government has a strong commitment to good financial management. We will not throw that away in the same way the Liberal Party did when it was in government.
That is extraordinary! That is the sort of attitude that led to the deficits under the Liberals. At last we have a Government that takes financial management seriously. That question came from the former Minister for Education, whose performance was so bad that the then Under Treasurer, Mr John Langoulant, wrote to the Premier of the day, Richard Court, complaining about the Minister for Education’s failure to stick to the set targets. This Government has a strong commitment to good financial management. We will not throw that away in the same way the Liberal Party did when it was in government.

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