❓ Mr. Nalder questions the delay in payroll tax relief given economic concerns. The Premier deflects, blaming the previous government's debt and highlighting WA's relatively better financial management.
AnsweredQoN 488Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PAYROLL
TAX
488. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
Why is the Premier waiting 12 months
to give consideration to payroll tax relief, given concerns expressed by
captains of industry such as Michael Chaney and Gina Rinehart and when 90 000 Western
Australians do not have a job and the domestic economy is in recession?
TAX
488. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
Why is the Premier waiting 12 months
to give consideration to payroll tax relief, given concerns expressed by
captains of industry such as Michael Chaney and Gina Rinehart and when 90 000 Western
Australians do not have a job and the domestic economy is in recession?
AnswerView source ↗
It is because the previous
government left us with $40 billion of debt. It left us with deficits of over
$2 billion a year. It left us with the worst debt per capita of anywhere in
Australia at that time. That is why. We now find there is a government that is
focused on fixing the former government's mess. I do not know why the
member for Bateman cannot get that through his head. Every time he asks this
question, I will repeat his government's record. That is what it left
us and the member for Bateman knew it because when he challenged Colin Barnett
for the leadership, that was one of his grounds—the terrible financial
management of the former government. He said that that was why new leadership,
as he claimed, was needed in the Liberal Party. Two and a half years later, he
has amnesia about the reason why he challenged Colin Barnett for the
leadership. The member has amnesia.
Obviously, as I have said on many
occasions, dealing with payroll tax is desirable, but we have to also manage
the state's finances responsibly. As I will repeat, yesterday's
front page of The Australian showed that in every state in Australia debt was going up significantly, bar
one—Western Australia, because of our good financial management.
I will make another point. In New
South Wales, which sold off its electricity utilities, debt is going from zero
to $38 billion. The New South Wales government sold off those utilities and
went on a spending spree, and it now does not have solid financial management,
and look at what is happening. By 2022, its debt will go to $38 billion from
zero.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Riverton, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am
interested, when the member for Bateman stands and asks his supplementary
question, whether he still thinks Western Power should be sold.
government left us with $40 billion of debt. It left us with deficits of over
$2 billion a year. It left us with the worst debt per capita of anywhere in
Australia at that time. That is why. We now find there is a government that is
focused on fixing the former government's mess. I do not know why the
member for Bateman cannot get that through his head. Every time he asks this
question, I will repeat his government's record. That is what it left
us and the member for Bateman knew it because when he challenged Colin Barnett
for the leadership, that was one of his grounds—the terrible financial
management of the former government. He said that that was why new leadership,
as he claimed, was needed in the Liberal Party. Two and a half years later, he
has amnesia about the reason why he challenged Colin Barnett for the
leadership. The member has amnesia.
Obviously, as I have said on many
occasions, dealing with payroll tax is desirable, but we have to also manage
the state's finances responsibly. As I will repeat, yesterday's
front page of The Australian showed that in every state in Australia debt was going up significantly, bar
one—Western Australia, because of our good financial management.
I will make another point. In New
South Wales, which sold off its electricity utilities, debt is going from zero
to $38 billion. The New South Wales government sold off those utilities and
went on a spending spree, and it now does not have solid financial management,
and look at what is happening. By 2022, its debt will go to $38 billion from
zero.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Riverton, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am
interested, when the member for Bateman stands and asks his supplementary
question, whether he still thinks Western Power should be sold.
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