❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Cook Labor government's financial stewardship is answered by highlighting the perceived failures of the previous Liberal-National government and contrasting them with the current government's achievements.
AnsweredQoN 896Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE FINANCES — GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE
896. Ms K.E. GIDDENS to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's stewardship of
the state's finances over the last eight years.
(1) Can the
Treasurer outline how the strong leadership of the Cook Labor government has
resulted in a massive turnaround in the state's finances?
(2) Can the
Treasurer advise how this government's strong, stable leadership
compares with that of the Liberals and the Nationals WA?
896. Ms K.E. GIDDENS to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's stewardship of
the state's finances over the last eight years.
(1) Can the
Treasurer outline how the strong leadership of the Cook Labor government has
resulted in a massive turnaround in the state's finances?
(2) Can the
Treasurer advise how this government's strong, stable leadership
compares with that of the Liberals and the Nationals WA?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for that question. Many people in this house were not here
when we were in opposition, but the hallmark of the Liberal–National
government was a divided, broken government. We had a Liberal Party that was
divided and a National Party that hated the Liberal Party. In eight years of
opposition, nothing has changed. We have an opposition that had the opportunity
to spend eight years to prepare for government, and, now, with just over 100
days until an election, it is a divided Liberal Party with two camps—exactly
what it delivered when it was in government—and a National Party and a Liberal
Party at war with each other, with no common policies and no common program. As
a result, we had a completely dysfunctional cabinet and Expenditure Review
Committee process under the Liberal–National government. There were two
separate cabinet processes, two separate ERC processes, and then we had a completely
broken Liberal Party in government. We know the different factions that existed
in that Liberal Party. As a result, what did the government deliver? It
delivered a recession. It delivered debt that climbed from $5.6 billion to what
was projected to be $43 billion. There was a slowing economy, so that
government ran the state's finances into the red—operating
deficits—increased debt at an unsustainable level and crashed the
economy. That is because members opposite could not agree on how to manage the
government. Today, they cannot agree on how to manage an opposition.
What impact did we see on
households? As the Premier has just outlined, we saw increase upon increase on
household fees and charges—$2 100 in nominal terms. We saw electricity
and water prices increase and, of course, TAFE fees went up 500 per cent. As
the Premier said, they left the people in the suburbs and in regional WA
behind. We saw apprenticeships and traineeships plummet. We saw young people
not being able to get a trade. We have reversed it all. We have free TAFE and a
record number of people going through training in this state. We have seen
cost-of-living relief and over 300 000 jobs created in this state. We saw the
Aaa credit rating coming back to us from the two major rating agencies. We have
saved $5 billion in interest payments, and, as the Premier said, across the
board, we have seen incredible economic figures. There is a 5.8 per cent
increase in state final demand for the financial year just ended. Importantly—this
is a point that we heard last week from some of the institutions—across
the board, we have strong business investment. The key difference with the
other states is that their growth has been dominated by government investment.
In WA, government investment is actually much smaller than business investment. That is a good sign. The
business community is willing to invest in Western Australia. We have a record
number of people wanting to come to WA. Honestly, if it were as bad as the
Leader of the Liberal Party wanted to portray, you would think everyone would
be leaving WA instead of a record number of people coming to WA. There is
record business investment of 13 per cent. Government and dwelling investments
are up and household consumption is up. All the indicators are that things in
WA continue to dominate the national landscape. Tomorrow, I will be meeting
with the federal Treasurer and the other
state Treasurers, and I will again highlight just how well WA is going compared
with the other states.
As
I said, when members opposite were last in government, they were a divided
mess. There were two clear groups in the Liberal Party and the Nationals
WA that did not talk to each other. In eight years, they have done nothing to
correct that. In the last three years, we have seen the Liberal Party
practically blow itself up. We have a situation
in which there is clear division. We do not have a shadow Treasurer. We are 100 days out from the election and there is no shadow Treasurer! I point out
that over $6 billion at least of commitments have been made by both parties—at
least. They refuse to have their commitments costed by the Treasury. There is
no shadow Treasurer, and they are not going to trust the Treasury to do their
costings. I mean—who is going to do it? That businessman?
Mr J.N. Carey : Get the
businessman!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : Get the businessman!
If they knew who the businessman was, maybe they could ask the businessman to do their costings. The elusive businessman is out there somewhere in the
shadows with the cowards, as the Leader of the Liberal Party said.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : He is with
the shadow Treasurer! We are 100 days out. There is no shadow Treasurer. They
are not going to send their commitments to Treasury, because we have an
incredible situation whereby they will not
trust the Treasury to cost their election commitments—billions of
dollars of commitments. We saw the Leader of the Opposition ask about a commitment.
We still do not know whose commitment wins on the day. Let us say members
opposite win government. Whose stamp duty commitment will they deliver? We have
no idea. As I said, it is eight years later,
and the opposition is worse than it was even a few years ago. It is deeply
divided. The Leader of the Liberal Party and Basil Zempilas cannot
coexist, and because of the dysfunctional relationship between the Liberal
Party and the Nationals WA, the opposition has been unable to form a credible
alternative government. That is something we will continue to highlight.
Elections are a comparison and contrast; it is a choice, and we will continue
to highlight the dysfunctional, chaotic and divided nature of the Liberal
Party.
I thank the member for that question. Many people in this house were not here
when we were in opposition, but the hallmark of the Liberal–National
government was a divided, broken government. We had a Liberal Party that was
divided and a National Party that hated the Liberal Party. In eight years of
opposition, nothing has changed. We have an opposition that had the opportunity
to spend eight years to prepare for government, and, now, with just over 100
days until an election, it is a divided Liberal Party with two camps—exactly
what it delivered when it was in government—and a National Party and a Liberal
Party at war with each other, with no common policies and no common program. As
a result, we had a completely dysfunctional cabinet and Expenditure Review
Committee process under the Liberal–National government. There were two
separate cabinet processes, two separate ERC processes, and then we had a completely
broken Liberal Party in government. We know the different factions that existed
in that Liberal Party. As a result, what did the government deliver? It
delivered a recession. It delivered debt that climbed from $5.6 billion to what
was projected to be $43 billion. There was a slowing economy, so that
government ran the state's finances into the red—operating
deficits—increased debt at an unsustainable level and crashed the
economy. That is because members opposite could not agree on how to manage the
government. Today, they cannot agree on how to manage an opposition.
What impact did we see on
households? As the Premier has just outlined, we saw increase upon increase on
household fees and charges—$2 100 in nominal terms. We saw electricity
and water prices increase and, of course, TAFE fees went up 500 per cent. As
the Premier said, they left the people in the suburbs and in regional WA
behind. We saw apprenticeships and traineeships plummet. We saw young people
not being able to get a trade. We have reversed it all. We have free TAFE and a
record number of people going through training in this state. We have seen
cost-of-living relief and over 300 000 jobs created in this state. We saw the
Aaa credit rating coming back to us from the two major rating agencies. We have
saved $5 billion in interest payments, and, as the Premier said, across the
board, we have seen incredible economic figures. There is a 5.8 per cent
increase in state final demand for the financial year just ended. Importantly—this
is a point that we heard last week from some of the institutions—across
the board, we have strong business investment. The key difference with the
other states is that their growth has been dominated by government investment.
In WA, government investment is actually much smaller than business investment. That is a good sign. The
business community is willing to invest in Western Australia. We have a record
number of people wanting to come to WA. Honestly, if it were as bad as the
Leader of the Liberal Party wanted to portray, you would think everyone would
be leaving WA instead of a record number of people coming to WA. There is
record business investment of 13 per cent. Government and dwelling investments
are up and household consumption is up. All the indicators are that things in
WA continue to dominate the national landscape. Tomorrow, I will be meeting
with the federal Treasurer and the other
state Treasurers, and I will again highlight just how well WA is going compared
with the other states.
As
I said, when members opposite were last in government, they were a divided
mess. There were two clear groups in the Liberal Party and the Nationals
WA that did not talk to each other. In eight years, they have done nothing to
correct that. In the last three years, we have seen the Liberal Party
practically blow itself up. We have a situation
in which there is clear division. We do not have a shadow Treasurer. We are 100 days out from the election and there is no shadow Treasurer! I point out
that over $6 billion at least of commitments have been made by both parties—at
least. They refuse to have their commitments costed by the Treasury. There is
no shadow Treasurer, and they are not going to trust the Treasury to do their
costings. I mean—who is going to do it? That businessman?
Mr J.N. Carey : Get the
businessman!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : Get the businessman!
If they knew who the businessman was, maybe they could ask the businessman to do their costings. The elusive businessman is out there somewhere in the
shadows with the cowards, as the Leader of the Liberal Party said.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : He is with
the shadow Treasurer! We are 100 days out. There is no shadow Treasurer. They
are not going to send their commitments to Treasury, because we have an
incredible situation whereby they will not
trust the Treasury to cost their election commitments—billions of
dollars of commitments. We saw the Leader of the Opposition ask about a commitment.
We still do not know whose commitment wins on the day. Let us say members
opposite win government. Whose stamp duty commitment will they deliver? We have
no idea. As I said, it is eight years later,
and the opposition is worse than it was even a few years ago. It is deeply
divided. The Leader of the Liberal Party and Basil Zempilas cannot
coexist, and because of the dysfunctional relationship between the Liberal
Party and the Nationals WA, the opposition has been unable to form a credible
alternative government. That is something we will continue to highlight.
Elections are a comparison and contrast; it is a choice, and we will continue
to highlight the dysfunctional, chaotic and divided nature of the Liberal
Party.
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