McGowan mauls 'worst Budget ever'
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan used his Budget-in-reply speech yesterday to tell a tale of two States - of where WA is at today and where he says it "could have been".
According to Mr McGowan, the former has an economy that is too reliant on iron ore and does not have the Budget capacity to deal with the problems confronting it.
The latter would have less debt, better public transport planning to meet the long-term needs of a growing population, education and training sectors that were the envy of the world and would embrace modern technologies.
"My vision for Western Australia is this: a prosperous, vibrant, successful, caring, compassionate and fair State brimming with opportunities and confidence for the future," Mr McGowan said.
"I would have liked to have seen a strong trading economy, but also a strong domestic economy in which we have a diversity of industries and strong job opportunities and strong job growth for the future."
In an unflattering assessment of last week's State Budget, in which he dubbed it the "worst Budget ever", Mr McGowan told Parliament it demonstrated the Barnett Government's "pathological disregard" for financial management.
He said the Budget should have provided a road map to a better future for the State, but was instead a "dim, dismal document" without hope, inspiration or a plan for future decades.
It was full of broken promises and "nasty cuts" that would affect seniors, first-homebuyers, renters, landlords and electricity users.
He criticised the increases in utility costs, changes to land tax and the Government "breaking" its election promises on MAX light rail, the upgrade of Royal Perth Hospital, the Albany gas pipeline and Fremantle port.
The proposed asset sale program was a "fire sale" and a "desperate attempt to try to keep the AA+ credit rating".
"This has been a job-destroying, job-killing Budget at exactly the time we needed the opposite," he said. "It has the worst set of numbers in the history of the State, it has the worst level of debt, the worst deficit, a declining asset investment program and it has left a gigantic landmine for future governments, for future premiers and future generations."
Mr McGowan said the only way to fix the "mess" was to remove the "tired" Barnett Government.
