❓ The Treasurer responds to claims of $1.3 billion in promises, defending the government's tax relief plan and attacking the opposition's fiscal record and lack of transparency.
AnsweredQoN 699Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Leader of the Opposition’s claim in The West Australian today that the Treasurer has made $1.3 billion in promises over the past 10 days. Is this true? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
I do not know to what promises the Leader of the Opposition is referring, but I assume it involves the $1 billion of tax relief that the Gallop Government will deliver to Western Australians. I assure the Leader of the Opposition that that is not a promise; it is fully costed and fully funded, and we will implement that as soon as the legislation is passed through this Parliament. If the Leader of the Opposition sits quietly for a moment, he will hear me read the second reading speech for that legislation after the conclusion of question time. All our commitments are fully costed and fully funded, which is in stark contrast to the coalition’s commitments. The coalition has been on a bender for more than three years, driving around the State and making unfunded promises. It has a promise for every person and no plan to pay for those promises. That is the Leader of the Opposition’s record in opposition, and what a financial and economic colossus he was when he was also in government. He was a key member of the coalition’s budget committee that delivered five budget deficits, presided over a shrinking economy, put up taxes five times and jeopardised the AAA credit rating. What did he say - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I do not know to what promises the Leader of the Opposition is referring, but I assume it involves the $1 billion of tax relief that the Gallop Government will deliver to Western Australians. I assure the Leader of the Opposition that that is not a promise; it is fully costed and fully funded, and we will implement that as soon as the legislation is passed through this Parliament. If the Leader of the Opposition sits quietly for a moment, he will hear me read the second reading speech for that legislation after the conclusion of question time. All our commitments are fully costed and fully funded, which is in stark contrast to the coalition’s commitments. The coalition has been on a bender for more than three years, driving around the State and making unfunded promises. It has a promise for every person and no plan to pay for those promises. That is the Leader of the Opposition’s record in opposition, and what a financial and economic colossus he was when he was also in government. He was a key member of the coalition’s budget committee that delivered five budget deficits, presided over a shrinking economy, put up taxes five times and jeopardised the AAA credit rating. What did he say - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
I do not know to what promises the Leader of the Opposition is referring, but I assume it involves the $1 billion of tax relief that the Gallop Government will deliver to Western Australians. I assure the Leader of the Opposition that that is not a promise; it is fully costed and fully funded, and we will implement that as soon as the legislation is passed through this Parliament. If the Leader of the Opposition sits quietly for a moment, he will hear me read the second reading speech for that legislation after the conclusion of question time. All our commitments are fully costed and fully funded, which is in stark contrast to the coalition’s commitments. The coalition has been on a bender for more than three years, driving around the State and making unfunded promises. It has a promise for every person and no plan to pay for those promises. That is the Leader of the Opposition’s record in opposition, and what a financial and economic colossus he was when he was also in government. He was a key member of the coalition’s budget committee that delivered five budget deficits, presided over a shrinking economy, put up taxes five times and jeopardised the AAA credit rating. What did he say - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I do not know to what promises the Leader of the Opposition is referring, but I assume it involves the $1 billion of tax relief that the Gallop Government will deliver to Western Australians. I assure the Leader of the Opposition that that is not a promise; it is fully costed and fully funded, and we will implement that as soon as the legislation is passed through this Parliament. If the Leader of the Opposition sits quietly for a moment, he will hear me read the second reading speech for that legislation after the conclusion of question time. All our commitments are fully costed and fully funded, which is in stark contrast to the coalition’s commitments. The coalition has been on a bender for more than three years, driving around the State and making unfunded promises. It has a promise for every person and no plan to pay for those promises. That is the Leader of the Opposition’s record in opposition, and what a financial and economic colossus he was when he was also in government. He was a key member of the coalition’s budget committee that delivered five budget deficits, presided over a shrinking economy, put up taxes five times and jeopardised the AAA credit rating. What did he say - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
I do not know to what promises the Leader of the Opposition is referring, but I assume it involves the $1 billion of tax relief that the Gallop Government will deliver to Western Australians. I assure the Leader of the Opposition that that is not a promise; it is fully costed and fully funded, and we will implement that as soon as the legislation is passed through this Parliament. If the Leader of the Opposition sits quietly for a moment, he will hear me read the second reading speech for that legislation after the conclusion of question time. All our commitments are fully costed and fully funded, which is in stark contrast to the coalition’s commitments. The coalition has been on a bender for more than three years, driving around the State and making unfunded promises. It has a promise for every person and no plan to pay for those promises. That is the Leader of the Opposition’s record in opposition, and what a financial and economic colossus he was when he was also in government. He was a key member of the coalition’s budget committee that delivered five budget deficits, presided over a shrinking economy, put up taxes five times and jeopardised the AAA credit rating. What did he say - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! I cannot hear what the Treasurer is saying. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, Leader of the National Party! I do not know whether people are hard of hearing, but when I stand to tell people that interjections have reached an unacceptable level of noise, it is not an indication when I sit down to start yakking again. Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: What did the Leader of the Opposition say when he was the Minister for Resources Development and went home at night? Did he own up? Did he say, “Honey, I shrunk the economy”? He said that he would not release a financial plan until the election campaign. That is a measure of his arrogance and lack of accountability! On 15 October last year renowned Western Australian journalist Mr Robert Taylor wrote an article in The West Australian , in which he indicates that when pressed on when he would release costings of the policies he has been trotting out over the past couple of years the opposition leader said, “Somewhere between now and the next federal election”. That is another broken promise. He told The West Australian that the coalition’s financial plan would be released before the federal election and we still have not seen it. When the Labor Party was in opposition it released a financial plan a year before the election. There is no reason the coalition should be allowed to escape its accountability obligations. It has a responsibility to the media and the wider community. The Labor Party set a benchmark for accountability. The coalition should not be allowed to fly in under the radar and avoid scrutiny of its plans. We are beginning to see fragments of the coalition’s plans, although the energy policy released yesterday was strangely silent on the question of privatisation. That is the opposition leader’s love that dare not speak its name! Nevertheless, on the weekend he confessed to the Sunday Times that he would “slash public sector spending”. As I said in this House earlier during question time, I am proud of the spending increases in health, education and training, law and order and disability services that have occurred during this Government’s term. If the Leader of the Opposition intends to slash public spending, will he guarantee that those areas in which we have significantly increased spending will be quarantined from spending cuts? The opposition leader is trying to conceal his true intentions from the public of Western Australia. However, the people of Western Australia know that a leopard does not change its spots.
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