❓ Dr. Honey questions the Treasurer about the feasibility of the government's capital projects in the 2022-23 budget, given the economic climate. The Treasurer deflects, attributing delays to a strong economy and labour shortages, while also criticising the previous Liberal-National government's infrastructure delivery.
AnsweredQoN 303Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE BUDGET 2022–23 — ASSET INVESTMENT
PROGRAM
303. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. The
budget forecasts little to no changes to the underlying economic forces that
are going to impact the government's ability to deliver the capital
projects. Is the Treasurer's budget wrong about these forces or wrong
about the capital works the government can achieve, because it cannot be both?
PROGRAM
303. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. The
budget forecasts little to no changes to the underlying economic forces that
are going to impact the government's ability to deliver the capital
projects. Is the Treasurer's budget wrong about these forces or wrong
about the capital works the government can achieve, because it cannot be both?
AnswerView source ↗
Now the Leader of the Liberal Party
is quoting Star Wars . He is interested in the force! Some people could
make some unkind Star Wars references.
We have an ambitious infrastructure
program. Some years it is not delivered. The infrastructure program of the last
Liberal–National government was not delivered for some years. Sometimes
we thought the former government never intended on delivering some of those
projects and others were not delivered because at various points in time there was a very strong construction market.
That is the reality. These are the problems of success. Just so we understand,
we have a very strong construction market. That is a problem of success because
there are so many jobs and so many projects and so much activity that the state
is doing so well. Again, last night I was at the Australian Hotels Association accommodation awards at Crown Perth and
the major issue—the major complaint, if you like—from a lot
of the businesspeople there was that the economy was so strong that they were
having trouble attracting enough staff. That is a problem, but it is better
than the alternative problem, which is that there are not enough jobs for the
people out there. Having a strong economy, a big infrastructure program and
doing our best to deliver it, even if
sometimes we do not succeed totally in getting it all done, is ambitious. That
is kind of a good thing . The Leader
of the Liberal Party might be looking for things to criticise. If he wants to
continue to criticise us for the strength and success the economy, be my
guest.
is quoting Star Wars . He is interested in the force! Some people could
make some unkind Star Wars references.
We have an ambitious infrastructure
program. Some years it is not delivered. The infrastructure program of the last
Liberal–National government was not delivered for some years. Sometimes
we thought the former government never intended on delivering some of those
projects and others were not delivered because at various points in time there was a very strong construction market.
That is the reality. These are the problems of success. Just so we understand,
we have a very strong construction market. That is a problem of success because
there are so many jobs and so many projects and so much activity that the state
is doing so well. Again, last night I was at the Australian Hotels Association accommodation awards at Crown Perth and
the major issue—the major complaint, if you like—from a lot
of the businesspeople there was that the economy was so strong that they were
having trouble attracting enough staff. That is a problem, but it is better
than the alternative problem, which is that there are not enough jobs for the
people out there. Having a strong economy, a big infrastructure program and
doing our best to deliver it, even if
sometimes we do not succeed totally in getting it all done, is ambitious. That
is kind of a good thing . The Leader
of the Liberal Party might be looking for things to criticise. If he wants to
continue to criticise us for the strength and success the economy, be my
guest.
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