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Budget woe big failure, says ALP

Treasurer Mike Nahan's emergency measures to protect the Budget surplus are "the budgetary equivalent of fossicking around down the back of the couch for change", says shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt.

Mr Wyatt said revenue volatility was not new and former Labor treasurer Eric Ripper understood the importance of billion-dollar-plus surpluses to guard against the ups and downs.

_The West Australian _revealed yesterday that Dr Nahan has ordered a freeze on public sector hiring and advertising until at least July 1, though it will not apply to the Government's "Bigger Picture" advertising campaign, which was already approved.

Treasury has also lowered forecasts for iron ore royalties for the next four years by $420 million.

"I just don't buy this idea that Mike Nahan got a call on Saturday night saying, 'Oh, we've run out of money'," Mr Wyatt said.

"It's just a ludicrous way to suggest how the finances are run. "These perpetual announcements around freezes have been a feature of virtually every treasurer since 2009 and they've never been met. They've got to manage things way better than that."

The Community and Public Sector Union said the Government was going for short-term benefits at the cost of long-term services with the hiring freeze.

"These are short-sighted arbitrary measures," CPSU secretary Toni Walkington said. "If the Government can't manage the public service properly and can't get its priorities right, it should let someone else do it.

"We keep hearing about credit ratings and bungled contracts and yet the Government is pushing ahead with big-ticket items like Elizabeth Quay when many people can't get timely access to much-needed services."

Dr Nahan said the Health Department's failure to procure IT for Fiona Stanley Hospital on time was unacceptable and blowouts would have to be met from other parts of the health budget.