❓ Minister Bowler outlines five budget commitments to regional WA, totaling $150 million, and criticizes the Leader of the National Party for understating the government's investment in regional areas. He defends the budget against claims that electoral reform will harm rural communities.
AnsweredQoN 240Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the minister outline the government’s budget commitments to regional Western Australia? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Albany for his question and I recognise his advocacy for Albany and the great southern. I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Albany for his question and I recognise his advocacy for Albany and the great southern. I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
I thank the member for Albany for his question and I recognise his advocacy for Albany and the great southern. I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for Albany for his question and I recognise his advocacy for Albany and the great southern. I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
I thank the member for Albany for his question and I recognise his advocacy for Albany and the great southern. I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
I will refer to five budget commitments for regional Western Australia. The south west of the state will receive $70.7 million for power upgrades. In the electorate of the member for Roe, $35.6 million is allocated for work at the port of Esperance. An amount of $18.8 million is allocated for hospitals and health centres in the Kimberley. The mid west will receive $15.4 million for the Geraldton southern transport corridor. The great southern will receive $10 million for the Albany entertainment and convention centre. Coincidentally, those allocations total $150 million. That is just for five commitments. On 27 May the Leader of the National Party said on ABC radio - If you look through the Budget, there’s something like $150 million of expenditure in the region out of a $12 billion dollar budget. I assume that the Leader of the National Party can only count to five - he must have added only those five commitments. They alone total $150 million. He should have totalled the 195 commitments to regional Western Australia. The Leader of the National Party should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. If, at some time in the future, the government brings down a bad budget for regional Western Australia, people will listen to him. No-one is listening to him now because he keeps saying the same thing. He should admit that it is a good budget for regional Western Australia. He should say that. More importantly, this budget gives the lie to the claim that one vote, one value will decimate the bush. We have electoral reform and hundreds of millions of dollars is flowing into regional Western Australia. On behalf of regional Western Australia, I thank the Treasurer.
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