❓ Mr. McGowan questions the Premier on the fulfilment of election promises made to the agriculture sector by both the Liberal and National parties. The Premier responds by highlighting actions taken and criticising the previous government's record.
AnsweredQoN 176Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AGRICULTURE — ELECTION PROMISES
176. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's recent trip to the wheatbelt
and professed interest in agriculture.
(1) Will the Liberal Party's $40 million worth of
agriculture election promises be honoured?
(2) Will the National Party's $300 million worth of
agriculture election promises be honoured as well?
176. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's recent trip to the wheatbelt
and professed interest in agriculture.
(1) Will the Liberal Party's $40 million worth of
agriculture election promises be honoured?
(2) Will the National Party's $300 million worth of
agriculture election promises be honoured as well?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) At least I went to the wheatbelt!
Mr M. McGowan : So
did I.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Yes; a bit later.
Mr M. McGowan : No;
before the election I was in the wheatbelt—before you!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Fantastic! I think most of us went to the wheatbelt before the election. Did
you go there before or after? No.
Mr M. McGowan : I
am more than happy to discuss the country with you. I grew up in the country.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
went to the wheatbelt, along with the agriculture minister, Hon Ken Baston.
Between us we went to about a dozen towns and spoke to between 100 and 200
farmers.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
do that all the time. I drive through country areas of Western Australia
repeatedly and have done for the past 10 years. I am not a fly in, fly out
Premier; I drive.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It is true.
Mr M. McGowan :
Answer the question!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Commitments were made to agriculture, and we intend to honour those. A lot of
issues arose with farmers having difficulty getting finance or refinancing to
put crops in this year. There are a lot of variants in some of the levels of
alarm raised. In the farming groups that I met, every farmer I met said they
had finance; perhaps in some cases not as much as they wished. The state
government initiated a program to provide assistance. To this point, some 100
people or thereabouts have applied for assistance from the state government.
Cheques started to go out this week, so they would have received that. We have
acted. There is a range of other agricultural policies we have committed to. We
are six weeks in. I wonder whether the Leader of the Opposition bothered to
think back to the last term of government—the Muchea saleyards, GM canola,
the Ord River expansion project, the Katanning saleyards; on and on it goes.
This government delivered on agriculture, and we will continue to do so. We
will rebuild the agricultural industry to some of its previous prominence. Yes,
Mr Speaker, we intend to deliver our programs. Once again, Leader of the
Opposition, we are six weeks into government; ask the questions in two years'
time. This government will roll out its agenda just like it did in its first
term of government.
Mr M. McGowan : So
did I.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Yes; a bit later.
Mr M. McGowan : No;
before the election I was in the wheatbelt—before you!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Fantastic! I think most of us went to the wheatbelt before the election. Did
you go there before or after? No.
Mr M. McGowan : I
am more than happy to discuss the country with you. I grew up in the country.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
went to the wheatbelt, along with the agriculture minister, Hon Ken Baston.
Between us we went to about a dozen towns and spoke to between 100 and 200
farmers.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
do that all the time. I drive through country areas of Western Australia
repeatedly and have done for the past 10 years. I am not a fly in, fly out
Premier; I drive.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It is true.
Mr M. McGowan :
Answer the question!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Commitments were made to agriculture, and we intend to honour those. A lot of
issues arose with farmers having difficulty getting finance or refinancing to
put crops in this year. There are a lot of variants in some of the levels of
alarm raised. In the farming groups that I met, every farmer I met said they
had finance; perhaps in some cases not as much as they wished. The state
government initiated a program to provide assistance. To this point, some 100
people or thereabouts have applied for assistance from the state government.
Cheques started to go out this week, so they would have received that. We have
acted. There is a range of other agricultural policies we have committed to. We
are six weeks in. I wonder whether the Leader of the Opposition bothered to
think back to the last term of government—the Muchea saleyards, GM canola,
the Ord River expansion project, the Katanning saleyards; on and on it goes.
This government delivered on agriculture, and we will continue to do so. We
will rebuild the agricultural industry to some of its previous prominence. Yes,
Mr Speaker, we intend to deliver our programs. Once again, Leader of the
Opposition, we are six weeks into government; ask the questions in two years'
time. This government will roll out its agenda just like it did in its first
term of government.
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