❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Premier about funding infrastructure projects in the mid-year review. The Premier deflects, criticizes the previous government's debt and handling of the John Holland issue, and accuses the opposition of siding with John Holland and South Australia.
AnsweredQoN 1115Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
1115. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the do-nothing government's lack of progress on these projects,
will the Premier commit to fully funding these projects in the mid-year review
to stimulate jobs and the economy?
1115. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the do-nothing government's lack of progress on these projects,
will the Premier commit to fully funding these projects in the mid-year review
to stimulate jobs and the economy?
AnswerView source ↗
Which projects is the member
referring to?
Ms L. Mettam : In the first
question.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Who writes
your questions for you?
The SPEAKER : Excuse me. We
are getting close to the end.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member had
the question written for her and she does not know what she is talking about.
As I indicated to the house, we do not operate like the last government. It
took debt from under $5 billion to over $40 billion. That it managed to do that
was an extraordinary achievement, and the Liberal Party in its heart of hearts is ashamed of it. We have managed to have
a significant infrastructure program. We have managed to secure federal
government funding. We have managed to drive down debt at the same time. We
have managed to ensure that we have proper processes in government that
the previous government did not have. We have a proper Expenditure Review
Committee process through which spending commitments go. We do not have dual
Liberal and Nationals budget processes as the previous government did. The
people who deal with these issues in government are so happy that they have
responsible people in charge of these processes so it does not go out of
control, as had occurred.
Today,
of all days, and yesterday we have been dealing with the John Holland issue—a
legacy of the last government . A multinational company is suing the
state government of Western Australia for $300 million because it claims that
the last government made extraordinary mistakes, and the member for Riverton is
nodding. He is selling out the people of Western Australia. The Liberal Party
is selling out the people of Western Australia. The fact that it would go and
back John Holland against the taxpayers of our state says that it should not be
in Parliament, and the Leader of the Opposition should disown those comments.
She should say that the member for Riverton was wrong. Was the member for
Riverton wrong?
Mrs L.M. Harvey : I am not
commenting on a matter before the courts.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Leader of
the Opposition said, ''I am not commenting on a matter before the courts''.
She is not backing the taxpayers of Western Australia. She is not backing the
government of Western Australia against John Holland. We now have the Leader of
the Opposition in John Holland's court. We have the member for Riverton
in John Holland's court. We are trying to protect the Western Australian
taxpayers from a potential $300 million
liability that John Holland is claiming was the previous government's
doing, and all it can do is take John Holland's side. Yesterday,
the Leader of the Opposition was out there taking the government of South Australia's
side, trying to provide excuses for the federal government if it decides to
award the submarine project to South Australia. They are just quislings to the
people of WA.
Ms L. Mettam : I have a supplementary
question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : You already had
one.
Ms L. Mettam : I have another
one.
The SPEAKER : No. That is the
end of question time.
referring to?
Ms L. Mettam : In the first
question.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Who writes
your questions for you?
The SPEAKER : Excuse me. We
are getting close to the end.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member had
the question written for her and she does not know what she is talking about.
As I indicated to the house, we do not operate like the last government. It
took debt from under $5 billion to over $40 billion. That it managed to do that
was an extraordinary achievement, and the Liberal Party in its heart of hearts is ashamed of it. We have managed to have
a significant infrastructure program. We have managed to secure federal
government funding. We have managed to drive down debt at the same time. We
have managed to ensure that we have proper processes in government that
the previous government did not have. We have a proper Expenditure Review
Committee process through which spending commitments go. We do not have dual
Liberal and Nationals budget processes as the previous government did. The
people who deal with these issues in government are so happy that they have
responsible people in charge of these processes so it does not go out of
control, as had occurred.
Today,
of all days, and yesterday we have been dealing with the John Holland issue—a
legacy of the last government . A multinational company is suing the
state government of Western Australia for $300 million because it claims that
the last government made extraordinary mistakes, and the member for Riverton is
nodding. He is selling out the people of Western Australia. The Liberal Party
is selling out the people of Western Australia. The fact that it would go and
back John Holland against the taxpayers of our state says that it should not be
in Parliament, and the Leader of the Opposition should disown those comments.
She should say that the member for Riverton was wrong. Was the member for
Riverton wrong?
Mrs L.M. Harvey : I am not
commenting on a matter before the courts.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Leader of
the Opposition said, ''I am not commenting on a matter before the courts''.
She is not backing the taxpayers of Western Australia. She is not backing the
government of Western Australia against John Holland. We now have the Leader of
the Opposition in John Holland's court. We have the member for Riverton
in John Holland's court. We are trying to protect the Western Australian
taxpayers from a potential $300 million
liability that John Holland is claiming was the previous government's
doing, and all it can do is take John Holland's side. Yesterday,
the Leader of the Opposition was out there taking the government of South Australia's
side, trying to provide excuses for the federal government if it decides to
award the submarine project to South Australia. They are just quislings to the
people of WA.
Ms L. Mettam : I have a supplementary
question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : You already had
one.
Ms L. Mettam : I have another
one.
The SPEAKER : No. That is the
end of question time.
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