❓ Mr. Zempilas questions the Premier's commitment to the Burswood Park motorplex given potentially greater benefits from other projects. The Premier defends the project as an election commitment and criticizes the opposition's inconsistent stance.
AnsweredQoN 582Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Burswood Park motorplex
582. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Premier:
I refer to the
Premier's recent comments that the government is proceeding with the racetrack
at Burswood.
Given that the
economic and tourism benefits are likely to be far less than what the Perth
Convention and Exhibition Centre redevelopment would have delivered to this
state, why is it that the Premier is still proceeding with the racetrack when
these funds could be better spent on new-found priority areas?
582. Mr Basil Zempilas to
the Premier:
I refer to the
Premier's recent comments that the government is proceeding with the racetrack
at Burswood.
Given that the
economic and tourism benefits are likely to be far less than what the Perth
Convention and Exhibition Centre redevelopment would have delivered to this
state, why is it that the Premier is still proceeding with the racetrack when
these funds could be better spent on new-found priority areas?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. I have always said that we will do the design and business
case for the proposed Perth entertainment and sports precinct. One of the
reasons we are looking at this project is that it was an election commitment.
It was one of the very early ones. It was hotly debated, particularly in
electorates specific to it. It was the subject of some misrepresentation by the
Liberals and the Town of Victoria Park, yet the people of Western Australia
voted for it, as they did for a range of our election commitments that we will
seek to meet. From that perspective, we will continue to make sure that we
develop the business case in relation to it, as is required by Treasury,
Infrastructure Western Australia and the Strategic Asset Management Framework.
When we look at these things, we make sure we do them properly so that we can
continue to ensure that they provide value for money for the Western Australian
taxpayer.
Previously, the
opposition said that we should be spending the money for the racetrack on
health. It said that the week before last. Last week, it said we should spend
it on the convention centre. The question is: What does the opposition actually
stand for? It does not stand for anything.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Roger Cook: As I said on the weekend, the
opposition is like a broken TV—all sound; no vision—and, quite
frankly, opposition members said anything that came to their mind at their last
press conference. I will not be seeking any sort of guidance from opposition members
in relation to this, because they do not stand for anything. Opposition members
say one thing one day, then they take that little pot of money and spend it on
something else the next day. It is like the magic pudding of economics—that
money can somehow be spent over and over again! As we all know, that is exactly
what the opposition did last time it was in government. It spent money over and
over again and sent the state's public finances into rack and ruin.
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe!
Mr Roger Cook: We will continue to make sure that we
develop the sort of infrastructure we need in Western Australia to keep this
state progressing. For some reason, members on the other side, as part of the
great "no-alition", do not want things to happen here—but
then they do, and they say, "Let's spend a billion dollars on the
Commonwealth Games. Let's do that. Let's go spend a billion dollars on a 14-day
sporting event." While they do that, they want to develop the Swan River
foreshore at Langley Park at a cost of another billion dollars and put in a new
bell tower, and even put it up in the middle of the Swan River!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Leader of the Opposition and member for Cockburn.
Mr Roger Cook: We have been absolutely clear about our
intent; that is, we are going to take the state forward and make sure that we
reflect the priorities of the government, which is jobs, health and housing,
ensuring that people have the health care they need when they need it, ensuring
that everyone has a home and ensuring that we can continue to keep generating
quality jobs by maintaining Western Australia as the strongest economy in the
nation. We will do that because we believe in this state, not like members
opposite, who are happy to just simply criticise and negatively reflect on all
these great stakeholders in Western Australia that want to—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Roger Cook: We want this state to go forward; they
want it to go backwards.
for the question. I have always said that we will do the design and business
case for the proposed Perth entertainment and sports precinct. One of the
reasons we are looking at this project is that it was an election commitment.
It was one of the very early ones. It was hotly debated, particularly in
electorates specific to it. It was the subject of some misrepresentation by the
Liberals and the Town of Victoria Park, yet the people of Western Australia
voted for it, as they did for a range of our election commitments that we will
seek to meet. From that perspective, we will continue to make sure that we
develop the business case in relation to it, as is required by Treasury,
Infrastructure Western Australia and the Strategic Asset Management Framework.
When we look at these things, we make sure we do them properly so that we can
continue to ensure that they provide value for money for the Western Australian
taxpayer.
Previously, the
opposition said that we should be spending the money for the racetrack on
health. It said that the week before last. Last week, it said we should spend
it on the convention centre. The question is: What does the opposition actually
stand for? It does not stand for anything.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Roger Cook: As I said on the weekend, the
opposition is like a broken TV—all sound; no vision—and, quite
frankly, opposition members said anything that came to their mind at their last
press conference. I will not be seeking any sort of guidance from opposition members
in relation to this, because they do not stand for anything. Opposition members
say one thing one day, then they take that little pot of money and spend it on
something else the next day. It is like the magic pudding of economics—that
money can somehow be spent over and over again! As we all know, that is exactly
what the opposition did last time it was in government. It spent money over and
over again and sent the state's public finances into rack and ruin.
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe!
Mr Roger Cook: We will continue to make sure that we
develop the sort of infrastructure we need in Western Australia to keep this
state progressing. For some reason, members on the other side, as part of the
great "no-alition", do not want things to happen here—but
then they do, and they say, "Let's spend a billion dollars on the
Commonwealth Games. Let's do that. Let's go spend a billion dollars on a 14-day
sporting event." While they do that, they want to develop the Swan River
foreshore at Langley Park at a cost of another billion dollars and put in a new
bell tower, and even put it up in the middle of the Swan River!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Leader of the Opposition and member for Cockburn.
Mr Roger Cook: We have been absolutely clear about our
intent; that is, we are going to take the state forward and make sure that we
reflect the priorities of the government, which is jobs, health and housing,
ensuring that people have the health care they need when they need it, ensuring
that everyone has a home and ensuring that we can continue to keep generating
quality jobs by maintaining Western Australia as the strongest economy in the
nation. We will do that because we believe in this state, not like members
opposite, who are happy to just simply criticise and negatively reflect on all
these great stakeholders in Western Australia that want to—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Roger Cook: We want this state to go forward; they
want it to go backwards.
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