❓ Dr. Nahan questions the Treasurer about supporting the Opposition's Parliamentary Budget Office Bill, referencing their prior commitment. The Treasurer declines to commit support, citing cost concerns and duplication of Treasury functions, quoting the Leader of the Opposition's previous statements on the matter.
AnsweredQoN 840Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET
OFFICER BILL 2018
840. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Treasurer:
I refer to our mutual election
commitment at the 2017 election made on Gareth Parker's show on 6PR to
introduce a parliamentary budget office. Will the Treasurer, in the interests
of Western Australia and good government, vote for the opposition's
bill to create a parliamentary budget office when it is introduced later today?
OFFICER BILL 2018
840. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Treasurer:
I refer to our mutual election
commitment at the 2017 election made on Gareth Parker's show on 6PR to
introduce a parliamentary budget office. Will the Treasurer, in the interests
of Western Australia and good government, vote for the opposition's
bill to create a parliamentary budget office when it is introduced later today?
AnswerView source ↗
Suffice to say that although I have
not seen the legislation, it is unlikely that I will be supporting it. There
are a couple of reasons for that. First, I do not want to create another
bureaucracy—''Treasury already has this sort of information.''
Do members know who I am quoting? It is the Leader of the Opposition on 2 March
2017. This has been an issue for Labor for a long time. As I have said a number
of times over the years, and as the Premier has said a number of times over the
years, they are useful and could be potentially be good. As we respond to the
Langoulant report, that is something I am considering. I will start quoting
from now —
Yes, with a caveat. Don't
make it too costly, don't duplicate all the resources already available
in Treasury because the reality is Treasury has the expertise, the data to cost
these issues.
Now the costing is not the really big
issue; in many of these cases it's the funding assumptions behind them
and they're very complex. Therefore, you need access in the run up or
during the campaign, access to Treasury, to put your ideas together and get
feedback on what the cost, the feasibility of that is.
I will look to keep the cost down
because you don't want a parallel bureaucracy.
That is what the Leader of the
Opposition said. That was his position. I will take the advice that he gave me
in March 2017. It is something that I am looking at and will continue to look
at. But, suffice to say, although I have not yet looked at the opposition's
legislation, I will do so with keen interest. Can I commit to supporting it?
No.
not seen the legislation, it is unlikely that I will be supporting it. There
are a couple of reasons for that. First, I do not want to create another
bureaucracy—''Treasury already has this sort of information.''
Do members know who I am quoting? It is the Leader of the Opposition on 2 March
2017. This has been an issue for Labor for a long time. As I have said a number
of times over the years, and as the Premier has said a number of times over the
years, they are useful and could be potentially be good. As we respond to the
Langoulant report, that is something I am considering. I will start quoting
from now —
Yes, with a caveat. Don't
make it too costly, don't duplicate all the resources already available
in Treasury because the reality is Treasury has the expertise, the data to cost
these issues.
Now the costing is not the really big
issue; in many of these cases it's the funding assumptions behind them
and they're very complex. Therefore, you need access in the run up or
during the campaign, access to Treasury, to put your ideas together and get
feedback on what the cost, the feasibility of that is.
I will look to keep the cost down
because you don't want a parallel bureaucracy.
That is what the Leader of the
Opposition said. That was his position. I will take the advice that he gave me
in March 2017. It is something that I am looking at and will continue to look
at. But, suffice to say, although I have not yet looked at the opposition's
legislation, I will do so with keen interest. Can I commit to supporting it?
No.
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