❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett on potential cuts to the Royalties for Regions program due to declining revenue. Premier avoids a direct answer regarding legislation, emphasizing prioritisation and past achievements of the program.
AnsweredQoN 172Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS — TREASURER'S
COMMENTS
172. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I refer
to the Premier's comments this morning that we cannot go out and spend
lavishly on royalties for regions. He said that he believed country people know
there needed to be a slowdown during this tight period. Therefore, the Premier
is planning on cutting back on royalties for regions. Will he bring in
legislation to ensure that that happens?
COMMENTS
172. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I refer
to the Premier's comments this morning that we cannot go out and spend
lavishly on royalties for regions. He said that he believed country people know
there needed to be a slowdown during this tight period. Therefore, the Premier
is planning on cutting back on royalties for regions. Will he bring in
legislation to ensure that that happens?
AnswerView source ↗
I think it is pretty self-evident.
We must adjust our budget because of declining royalty income, declining goods
and services tax income and the like. Every program is cut back. We are doing
that right across government, but we are making sure that frontline essential
services —
Mr
M. McGowan : Will you bring in legislation?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : That is the third question.
Mr
M. McGowan : It's pretty straightforward; you should be able to
answer that.
The
SPEAKER : Just wait a minute, please.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : What does the Leader of the Opposition do all day? Does he not
do any work? He just listens to the radio.
The point I make, and I repeat it —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Let us have an answer.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The point I make—it is the royalties for regions
program and a whole lot of other projects—is that we will obviously
prioritise. I think country people are very sensible and pragmatic, and they
will understand cutbacks to a project that has had an enormous impact on
regional Western Australia—the best creation of facilities and programs
that country people have ever seen in the past 50 years, if not longer. I think
people understand that we cannot maintain levels of spending as they were. That
is self-evident.
Mr
P.B. Watson : What about the money you spent on the stadium and Elizabeth
Quay?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Albany, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Elizabeth Quay and the stadium account for less than three
per cent, if you like, of the total debt level, but what about the money we are
spending from royalties for regions on passing lanes on Albany Highway? Are
they not important? They are important. What about the money we spent in Albany
on the National Anzac Centre? What about that? That is important. These are
projects that the member for Albany said would not happen.
We must adjust our budget because of declining royalty income, declining goods
and services tax income and the like. Every program is cut back. We are doing
that right across government, but we are making sure that frontline essential
services —
Mr
M. McGowan : Will you bring in legislation?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : That is the third question.
Mr
M. McGowan : It's pretty straightforward; you should be able to
answer that.
The
SPEAKER : Just wait a minute, please.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : What does the Leader of the Opposition do all day? Does he not
do any work? He just listens to the radio.
The point I make, and I repeat it —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Let us have an answer.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The point I make—it is the royalties for regions
program and a whole lot of other projects—is that we will obviously
prioritise. I think country people are very sensible and pragmatic, and they
will understand cutbacks to a project that has had an enormous impact on
regional Western Australia—the best creation of facilities and programs
that country people have ever seen in the past 50 years, if not longer. I think
people understand that we cannot maintain levels of spending as they were. That
is self-evident.
Mr
P.B. Watson : What about the money you spent on the stadium and Elizabeth
Quay?
The
SPEAKER : Member for Albany, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Elizabeth Quay and the stadium account for less than three
per cent, if you like, of the total debt level, but what about the money we are
spending from royalties for regions on passing lanes on Albany Highway? Are
they not important? They are important. What about the money we spent in Albany
on the National Anzac Centre? What about that? That is important. These are
projects that the member for Albany said would not happen.
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