❓ Mr. Michael questions the Treasurer on whether the WA government will adopt the federal government's spending approach, specifically referencing the cost of an unused detention centre. The Treasurer avoids a direct answer, instead criticising the WA Liberal party's support for the federal Liberal government and highlighting perceived wasteful spending and budget cuts.
AnsweredQoN 253Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT —
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
253. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Treasurer:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to responsible financial management.
(1) Can the
Treasurer advise the house whether this government will adopt the federal
Liberal–National government's approach to spending—specifically,
the spending of $180 million to open and close an unused detention centre?
(2) Can the
Treasurer advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who supports and
endorses this approach to expenditure?
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
253. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Treasurer:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to responsible financial management.
(1) Can the
Treasurer advise the house whether this government will adopt the federal
Liberal–National government's approach to spending—specifically,
the spending of $180 million to open and close an unused detention centre?
(2) Can the
Treasurer advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who supports and
endorses this approach to expenditure?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Balcatta for
his question.
(1)–(2) During the opposition's private members'
business last night, there was a lot of love in the room, suffice to say.
Members of the opposition spent their time full of loving praise of Mr Morrison
and his government. I think that is the best way to describe it. I think if I were
to describe the love being expressed by the opposition last night, I could
probably use one word—unrequited. I think that is the best way to
describe the love being shared by the Western Australian Liberal Party to the
federal Liberal Party. It was like a parliamentary performance of Jessie's
Girl , or maybe Radiohead's Creep ; I am not sure—one
or the other. I want to point out that the Leader of the Opposition said about
a range of Morrison policy positions —
We stand by him 100 per cent � we are
standing shoulder to shoulder with Morrison.
Standing shoulder to shoulder—let
us think for a minute what the Prime Minister did. He spent nearly $200 million
of taxpayers' money so that he could fly to Christmas Island and do a press
conference. That is what he did. It was $200 million. When I thought about that—because
ultimately, the commonwealth does spend money in numbers I find astonishing,
let alone these sorts of bizarre wastes of money—it took me back. There
is a ''shoulder to shoulder'' comparison; the Leader of the
Opposition spent some $300 million on a coal-fired power station that we did
not need in the end. What else did Mr Morrison do for the unrequited love of
the WA Liberal Party? A $3 billion cut to TAFEs is locked in the budget. A pattern is emerging in the Liberal Party—state
and federal—when it comes to TAFEs. The Deputy Leader of the
Opposition, whilst minister, increased fees by around 500 per cent to ensure
that working families could not get their kids into TAFE to get the skills they
need. Mr Morrison has locked in some $3 billion in cuts to TAFE. We also heard
that the Leader of the Opposition is standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr
Morrison, confirming that the commonwealth government does not want to support
remote communities and their housing requirements, member for Kimberley. It is
locked away and confirmed in the budget this week. These are the things that
the Leader of the Opposition is standing shoulder to shoulder on with Mr
Morrison, yet we had this effusive, bizarre performance last night. Not once
was state policy raised during the three hours of debate with this loving Jessie's
Girl performance from members on the other side. I suspect that the
unrequited love is highlighted by the fact that I do not see the Leader of the
Opposition on the side of any bus. Every time a Liberal Prime Minister comes to
town, conveniently, the opposition has a remote community to visit.
If I could describe it in words
better than mine, I would use those of the late, great Dorothy Parker —
The sun's gone dim, and
The moon's turned black;
For I loved him, and
He didn't love back.
his question.
(1)–(2) During the opposition's private members'
business last night, there was a lot of love in the room, suffice to say.
Members of the opposition spent their time full of loving praise of Mr Morrison
and his government. I think that is the best way to describe it. I think if I were
to describe the love being expressed by the opposition last night, I could
probably use one word—unrequited. I think that is the best way to
describe the love being shared by the Western Australian Liberal Party to the
federal Liberal Party. It was like a parliamentary performance of Jessie's
Girl , or maybe Radiohead's Creep ; I am not sure—one
or the other. I want to point out that the Leader of the Opposition said about
a range of Morrison policy positions —
We stand by him 100 per cent � we are
standing shoulder to shoulder with Morrison.
Standing shoulder to shoulder—let
us think for a minute what the Prime Minister did. He spent nearly $200 million
of taxpayers' money so that he could fly to Christmas Island and do a press
conference. That is what he did. It was $200 million. When I thought about that—because
ultimately, the commonwealth does spend money in numbers I find astonishing,
let alone these sorts of bizarre wastes of money—it took me back. There
is a ''shoulder to shoulder'' comparison; the Leader of the
Opposition spent some $300 million on a coal-fired power station that we did
not need in the end. What else did Mr Morrison do for the unrequited love of
the WA Liberal Party? A $3 billion cut to TAFEs is locked in the budget. A pattern is emerging in the Liberal Party—state
and federal—when it comes to TAFEs. The Deputy Leader of the
Opposition, whilst minister, increased fees by around 500 per cent to ensure
that working families could not get their kids into TAFE to get the skills they
need. Mr Morrison has locked in some $3 billion in cuts to TAFE. We also heard
that the Leader of the Opposition is standing shoulder to shoulder with Mr
Morrison, confirming that the commonwealth government does not want to support
remote communities and their housing requirements, member for Kimberley. It is
locked away and confirmed in the budget this week. These are the things that
the Leader of the Opposition is standing shoulder to shoulder on with Mr
Morrison, yet we had this effusive, bizarre performance last night. Not once
was state policy raised during the three hours of debate with this loving Jessie's
Girl performance from members on the other side. I suspect that the
unrequited love is highlighted by the fact that I do not see the Leader of the
Opposition on the side of any bus. Every time a Liberal Prime Minister comes to
town, conveniently, the opposition has a remote community to visit.
If I could describe it in words
better than mine, I would use those of the late, great Dorothy Parker —
The sun's gone dim, and
The moon's turned black;
For I loved him, and
He didn't love back.
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