❓ Mr. Grylls questions the Minister for Environment and Heritage about the lack of funding in the state budget for the National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality, despite federal funding allocations. The Minister refutes the claim, stating that state funds are available and awaiting matching from the Commonwealth, while criticizing the federal government's commitment to the plan.
AnsweredQoN 724Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to comments made by the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the other place on 9 May 2003 that there is no funding allocation for the National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality in the state budget. (1) Does the minister agree with the Minister for Agriculture that if she had reached agreement with the Commonwealth prior to May, an allocation would have been made in the budget? (2) If the minister does agree, why do the budget papers not contain an allocation of $18.6 million for 2003-04, reflecting the federal Government’s budget released this week allocating that funding to Western Australia? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
(1) Does the minister agree with the Minister for Agriculture that if she had reached agreement with the Commonwealth prior to May, an allocation would have been made in the budget? (2) If the minister does agree, why do the budget papers not contain an allocation of $18.6 million for 2003-04, reflecting the federal Government’s budget released this week allocating that funding to Western Australia? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
(2) If the minister does agree, why do the budget papers not contain an allocation of $18.6 million for 2003-04, reflecting the federal Government’s budget released this week allocating that funding to Western Australia? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
(1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
(1) Does the minister agree with the Minister for Agriculture that if she had reached agreement with the Commonwealth prior to May, an allocation would have been made in the budget? (2) If the minister does agree, why do the budget papers not contain an allocation of $18.6 million for 2003-04, reflecting the federal Government’s budget released this week allocating that funding to Western Australia? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
(2) If the minister does agree, why do the budget papers not contain an allocation of $18.6 million for 2003-04, reflecting the federal Government’s budget released this week allocating that funding to Western Australia? Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: (1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
(1)-(2) I have not seen the comments referred to by the member, but what he has just said is not true. My own budgets contain moneys waiting to be matched under the bilateral agreement that was signed with the Commonwealth last November. I have money in the Department of Conservation and Land Management budget from the AlintaGas sale, which commenced during the time of the previous Government; it has sat there and sat there, and it is waiting to be matched. Unfortunately, the letter that has come through from the Prime Minister indicates that it will be matched and it will go out. In addition, this Government has put money on the table for the engineering evaluation initiative, and it is good news that that is being matched. Work has already started on that initiative, and the work will proceed much more rapidly. In addition, money is set aside for the demonstration catchment initiatives. This is all new money that will be spent in these areas. The real story about the federal budget is what has been done with the national action plan money. I encourage the member to look at those fantastic graphs. They show some great bars on a chart for the promises of two years ago; then they show what was spent last financial year, and we see drops and gaps; they then show what will be spent this financial year, and there are even more gaps. I am bemused - except that this issue is so serious that one should not be bemused. After three months the Prime Minister has written to the Premier saying that he agrees to match $31.5 million. How much is in the budget? An amount of $18 million. The federal Government cannot even keep its word.
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