Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD)

FORTIETH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Legislative Assembly

Thursday, 17 May 2018 ______THE SPEAKER (Mr P.B. Watson) took the chair at 9.00 am, acknowledged country and read prayers. CORRUPTION OVERSIGHT AGENCIES — MULTI-PARTISAN SELECT COMMITTEE Petition MS L.L. BAKER (Maylands — Deputy Speaker) [9.01 am]: Mr Speaker — The SPEAKER: Member for Maylands, are you standing? Ms L.L. BAKER: I am leaning. The SPEAKER: You had one foot on the bottom step! Ms L.L. BAKER: I am leaning a bit; I am tilting. It has been a long week. My petition, which complies with the standing orders of the house, states — To the Speaker and the Legislative Assembly, We, the undersigned, petition the state government to convene a Multi-partisan Select Committee to audit the internal workings of Western Australia’s police and other corruption oversight agencies. This audit should include: the WA Corruption and Crime Commission, WA Police Internal Affairs, and the WA Ombudsman. They should be replaced with a single civilian oversight body, in the model of the UK’s Independent Police Complaints Commission, to improve efficiency, save money and be publicly accountable. It is our belief that the current system of accountability is not effective. As it stands, investigations into police corruption are reported and then systematically refuted. This is not for lack of meritorious complaints. Police are rarely prosecuted or disciplined for the death, assault or ill-treatment of a member of the public. In WA there have been a string of homicide cases where innocent people have been incarcerated for years. Criticisms include a failure to safeguard women from domestic violence assaults, a failure to enforce restraining orders and, most damning, WA leading the nation in young indigenous incarcerations. Yet not one of the existing Oversight bodies has civilian powers to enforce justice. An Independent Police Complaints Commission should have Royal Commission type powers; be headed by an external superior court Judge; have a deputy legal practitioner with a minimum of 7 years of Law practice; appointments for 5 year periods; a completion date of 6 months for all corruption complaints. “We ask that the WA Government take action for WA Police transparency and accountability.” This petition has been signed by 121 people. [See petition 86.] REGIONAL EDUCATION — FUNDING CUTS Petition MR I.C. BLAYNEY (Geraldton) [9.03 am]: I have a petition from 38 petitioners that has been certified by the clerks and is in the following terms — To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We, the undersigned, say That we are opposed to the Government’s punishing funding cuts to regional education in Western Australia. 1. We oppose the closure of regional camp schools 2. We oppose the closure of Moora Residential College 3. We oppose the imposition of a 20 per cent Government levy onto the funds that flow into the Agricultural Education Farms Provision Trust from the five Agricultural Colleges Now we ask the Legislative Assembly To call on Premier Mark McGowan to abolish these proposed changes that will severely impact education in the regions. [See petition 87.] PAPER TABLED A paper was tabled and ordered to lie upon the table of the house.

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FORMER MEMBER FOR DARLING RANGE — CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Notice of Motion Dr M.D. Nahan (Leader of the Opposition) gave notice that at the next sitting of the house he would move — (1) That this house, in response to a request of the Commissioner of Police to the Speaker dated 10 May 2018, directs the Procedure and Privileges Committee to provide to WA Police the materials that the former member for Darling Range, Mr Barry Urban, gave to the committee which came into existence independent of any parliamentary proceedings. (2) That this house further directs the Procedure and Privileges Committee, that if the Commissioner of Police confirms that WA Police are investigating whether Mr Urban committed an offence or offences under section 57 of the Criminal Code, to provide to WA Police — (a) all correspondence between the committee and Mr Urban or his lawyers; and (b) all evidence that Mr Urban gave to the committee that is relevant to proving that Mr Urban knowingly gave a false answer to any lawful and relevant questions put to him in the course of the committee’s inquiry. ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER FLIGHT VIETNAM AND 1ST AUSTRALIAN TASK FORCE — RECOGNITION Statement by Minister for Veterans Issues MR P.C. TINLEY (Willagee — Minister for Veterans Issues) [9.06 am]: Last October I rose to my feet to pay tribute to the men of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam and acknowledge the 50 years that had passed since the formation of the unit and its embedding into the US Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company. At that time, I outlined the involvement of RANHFV, also known as the Experimental Military Unit, or EMU, in some of the most intense battles experienced by Australians in Vietnam. This experience resulted in the unit having the highest casualty rate of any RAN unit in Vietnam; however, it also resulted in the unit being the most decorated of all the RAN units, earning more than half the total number of honours and awards presented to RAN personnel during the entire Vietnam War. This year also sees the fiftieth anniversary of the battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral. The battles at Coral and Balmoral resulted in more Australian casualties than at any other series of engagements, with 26 Australians killed and 99 wounded. It was some of the heaviest fighting the task force ever undertook. In April last year, an inquiry was launched into the possibility of a unit recognition for both EMU and the 1st Australian Task Force. Last month, that report was tabled and accepted by the government. The tribunal recommended that the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam be awarded the unit citation for gallantry for acts of extraordinary gallantry in action in South Vietnam from October 1967 to June 1971, and that the citation be offered to the United States Army’s 135th Assault Helicopter Company. The tribunal also recommended that all associated units of the 1st Australian Task Force be recognised for their courageous service at Coral and Balmoral. As a point of reference, the unit citation for gallantry is the highest bravery award that can be conferred on a group in the Australian Defence Force. It is the collective equivalent of the Victoria Cross. The units of the 1st Australian Task Force included the 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment; A Squadron of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment; C Squadron of the 1st Armoured Regiment; the 12th Field Regiment of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery; and the 1st Field Squadron of the Royal Australian Engineers. The RAAF No 9 Squadron and 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight have also been recognised. This is long overdue recognition of the extreme courage and professionalism shown by our ADF personnel. I commend them on receipt of this award. I thank each and every one of them for their service, as well as all personnel who served in Vietnam, and I pay my respects to those who paid the ultimate price. Lest we forget. LESLIE THOMAS STARCEVICH — GRAVE AND MEMORIAL PROTECTION Statement by Minister for Culture and the Arts MR D.A. TEMPLEMAN (Mandurah — Minister for Culture and the Arts) [9.08 am]: I rise to inform the house that on Saturday, 21 April, I was privileged to be in Esperance in the presence of the family members of the late Leslie Thomas “Tom” Starcevich, VC, to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Shire of Esperance to protect the grave and memorial of Mr Starcevich. This follows the earlier signing of a similar MOU with the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, fulfilling the McGowan government’s pledge to protect the graves and memorials of WA’s Victoria Cross recipients who are commemorated at Esperance, Fremantle and Karrakatta Cemeteries. This adds a greater level of certainty, ensuring their protection and retention in perpetuity. The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour to members of the Australian Defence Force. It is awarded to a person who, in the presence of the enemy, displays the most conspicuous gallantry, daring,

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3011 pre-eminent act of valour, self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty. Tom Starcevich was awarded the Victoria Cross during the Borneo campaign of the Second World War for single-handedly capturing four Japanese machine gun positions on 28 June 1945. Complete disregard for his own safety played a significant part in the success of his decisive action. It is crucial that we physically preserve the memorials of those Western Australians who acted so honourably in the face of such tremendous adversity. Tom Starcevich, VC, is one of nine Victoria Cross recipients buried in Western Australian cemeteries. The names of the other heroic Western Australians are Thomas Leslie Axford, John Carroll, Martin O’Meara, Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell, James Park Woods, Hughie Idwal Edwards, James Heather Gordon and Leonard Henry Trent. Each recipient has his own story of gallantry and honour. By preserving these war graves and memorials, we demonstrate our collective respect for the contributions, sacrifice and heroic achievements of VC recipients, and we also help to ensure that their individual stories are shared with the community for generations to come. This announcement coincides with the 103rd anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in World War I. The McGowan Labor government understands the significance of the Victoria Cross and recognises that the great achievements of those recipients warrants protection and retention in perpetuity. Lest we forget. BALGA SOCCER CLUB — JUNIOR FEE–FREE FOOTBALL PROGRAM Statement by Minister for Sport and Recreation MR M.P. MURRAY (Collie–Preston — Minister for Sport and Recreation) [9.11 am]: On Monday night I had the opportunity to visit the Balga Soccer Club, an innovative and multicultural club doing excellent work developing accessible, grassroots sport for kids. The club is the first in Australia to introduce a junior fee–free football program to all Balga Soccer Club youth members. In a very multicultural area with a large new migrant population, the program successfully uses football as a vehicle for inclusion. The program provides both a fun way for families to spend time together and the opportunity for kids from a variety of backgrounds to further develop their sporting and life skills under a fully structured program. To be eligible for the fee–free football program, families must get involved and participate in club activities. It was fantastic to meet some of the parents who had enrolled their kids in the program and started volunteering at the club, all of whom have enjoyed becoming a part of the football community. Funded through fundraising efforts, the fee-free football offers exceptional outcomes in getting families and kids who could not otherwise afford to play involved in their local community. The club itself also benefits, offering access to an optional advanced academy pathway for talented kids whose participation in sport may have otherwise been limited by their economic background. Balga SC now has 300 registered players and 17 teams. As the Minister for Sport and Recreation; Volunteering, I am delighted to see a program encouraging the participation of kids in sport and their parents in volunteering, and the incredible social, health and family outcomes of this fee-free initiative. I thank Janine Freeman, MLA, for the invitation to come out and meet with the club, President Ken Shorto and the Balga SC executive for their exceptional leadership, the parents who have seized the opportunity to get themselves and their kids involved, and, of course, the City of Stirling and Football West for their support of the club. MUNDAY SWAMP — PERTH AIRPORT — HERITAGE APPROVAL Statement by Minister for Aboriginal Affairs MR B.S. WYATT (Victoria Park — Minister for Aboriginal Affairs) [9.13 am]: I rise with a heavy heart this morning to inform the house that I have made a decision to grant approval under section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 for the Aboriginal heritage site Munday Swamp to be impacted to allow construction of a new runway at Perth Airport. This has been a difficult decision. The runway will affect Munday Swamp, a very important cultural site for Noongar people. There is no doubt about how important Munday Swamp is to Noongar people. It is regarded as one of the most important Noongar cultural sites in the Perth region. The Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee, the statutory body under the AHA that assesses the significance of Aboriginal cultural sites, assessed Munday Swamp as highly significant and, in fact, recommended to me that approval for development should not be granted. Perth Airport has done everything in its engineering capacity to minimise the impact of the proposed runway by going as far south as it can. There will still be an impact on the site, although the vast majority of the location and its most luxuriant wetland area will not be affected. As a minister who is passionately committed to protecting Aboriginal cultural places in Western Australia, this has been an incredibly difficult but necessary decision that takes into account the interests of the whole of the state. Perth Airport provides a critical element in the Perth, Western Australian and national transport network. There is no question that the new runway will be needed to deal with the rapid increase in aircraft traffic that Perth has been experiencing. Perth is arguably the most isolated city in the world and dependent on air traffic more than any other city. Ninety per cent of all visitors to WA come through Perth Airport. Our sense of community and our economy are inextricably linked to the successful operation of Perth Airport.

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In making this decision, I want to make a couple of salient points. I have been enormously impressed by the commitment of Perth Airport in recent years to the recognition of Aboriginal culture and its ongoing demonstration of meaningful dialogue with Noongar people, whose cultural heritage will be affected by this development. Perth Airport has accepted a range of responsibilities to support Noongar culture, preserve the swamp and reconnect the ancient waterways near the airport to the Swan River—the Derbarl Yerrigan. Perth Airport will double its efforts to maximise Aboriginal employment, and visitors to Perth will, in coming years, be treated to a meaningful and respectful Noongar cultural experience in the new terminal development associated with the new runway. However, I appreciate the hurt my decision today may cause a number of Noongar people. I take no pleasure in this announcement. However, my ministerial responsibility to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage must take into account the broader interests of the whole state of Western Australia, and I am of the view that despite the granting of approval under section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act, the undertakings given by Perth Airport mean that the site, which will clearly be impacted, will be able to be managed in a way that, hopefully, Noongar people will deem acceptable in the future. RAMADAN Statement by Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests MR P. PAPALIA (Warnbro — Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests) [9.16 am]: I inform the house that the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins today. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, which is a lunar calendar based on the cycles of the moon. Observances begin in the morning after the crescent moon is visibly sighted, marking the beginning of the new month. Ramadan is the month of fasting, and for practising Muslims it is a time for contemplation, worship, prayers, good deeds and charity. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The other four pillars are declaration of faith, five daily prayers, giving alms or charity and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Healthy adult Muslims are required to refrain from consuming all foods and liquids and sinful conduct from sunrise to sunset every day during Ramadan. The fast is broken at sunset each day with a meal, also called iftar, which is a very social event, with family and community members. It is common for people to host others for dinner or to gather as a community to share the meal. For members of our Parliament, a highlight of the month of Ramadan is the parliamentary iftar dinner, which is held here in Parliament House. This year’s parliamentary iftar dinner will be hosted by Mr Chris Tallentire, MLA, and Mr Ian Blayney, MLA, and is an exceptional opportunity for cross-cultural interaction, networking and intercultural dialogue. The annual parliamentary iftar dinner is organised by the Intercultural Harmony Society and in the last six years has been supported through the Office of Multicultural Interests. The dinner is always popular and is attended by a variety of people, including parliamentarians, faith and community leaders from many different communities, academics, journalists and students. I strongly encourage members to attend the dinner as it offers valuable insight into the importance of Ramadan to our Muslim communities. The Intercultural Harmony Society is once again organising a series of home dinners at which members of the wider community are welcomed into Muslim homes to experience iftar firsthand. This Ramadan, families from across our diverse Muslim communities will be hosting more than 30 home dinners. The Intercultural Harmony Society hopes to increase the number of these dinners in the future. On behalf of the state government, I wish all Western Australian Muslims and, indeed, Muslims around the world, a peaceful month of Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem! SALVATION ARMY — RED SHIELD APPEAL Statement by Minister for Community Services MS S.F. McGURK (Fremantle — Minister for Community Services) [9.18 am]: Last Wednesday morning I found myself sitting next to our new Governor, Hon Kim Beazley, at an event. Of course, I took the opportunity to congratulate him on his new role and wish him all the best, but I also convinced him to change his socks then and there—and here is why. Every year the Salvation Army conducts the Red Shield Appeal to raise the funds it needs to serve Australians experiencing disadvantage, poverty and hardship. The business sector and the community always contribute generously, and at the Red Shield Appeal breakfast, I was proud once again to present a cheque for $60 000 on behalf of the Premier and the Western Australian government. That was also where the new Governor and I slipped into some bright red socks—all for a good cause. The Salvos provide everything from emergency relief, housing and aged-care services to support victims of family and domestic violence. I have visited numerous of its services since becoming minister, including youth accommodation, a thrift shop and a women’s refuge in Karratha, as well as Landsdale House here in Perth, which helps young people aged between 12 and 17 years with moderate to high behavioural and emotional needs. During all these visits, I witnessed the remarkable commitment and determination of staff and volunteers, who have dedicated themselves to helping vulnerable Western Australians. The Red Shield Appeal runs every year during the months of April, May and June. On 26 and 27 May, volunteers will be doorknocking around the state and I encourage everyone to make a donation to allow the Salvation Army to continue its valuable work in our community.

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WA NURSING AND MIDWIFERY EXCELLENCE AWARDS Statement by Minister for Health MR R.H. COOK (Kwinana — Minister for Health) [9.20 am]: The fifteenth WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards were held this year. The event is hosted annually to coincide with the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May and International Nurses Day on 12 May. These awards provide the wider community with an opportunity to recognise and reward our hardworking nurses and midwives for the valuable contributions they make each and every day. Western Australia’s 38 000 nurses and midwives play a critical role in the state’s health system and are at the forefront of ensuring compassionate, safe and cost-effective care. Overall, the awards recognised 11 category winners, who were chosen from a field of 28 finalists from across Western Australia’s public and private health and education sectors. The 2018 Nurse/Midwife of the Year was awarded to a specialist palliative care nurse who introduced mobile videoconferencing to enable patients to remain at home during the final stages of their care. Brett Hayes, a clinical nurse manager of palliative care in the wheatbelt, also took top honour in the Excellence in Rural and Remote Health category. Brett’s commitment to providing best-practice palliative care has made him a role model for other nurses and resulted in the development of a telepalliative care service, whose clients were four times more likely to fulfil their wish to die at home. The 2018 Lifetime Achievement Honour was presented to Professor Phillip Della, Curtin University’s head of the School for Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine. I congratulate Phillip on his award and thank him for his tireless commitment to the development of the nursing profession over many years. This year’s finalists had all levels of experience and came from a range of work and practice environments. They were nominated by their colleagues and patients as exemplary nurses and midwives who are making a significant difference to their professions, their organisations and the health of Western Australians. I congratulate all the winners and finalists and thank them for their constant commitment to driving innovation within their professions. ILLEGAL WINDOW WASHERS Grievance MS C.M. ROWE (Belmont) [9.22 am]: My grievance this morning is to the Minister for Police; Road Safety. It involves the increasing number of illegal window washers at various intersections throughout Perth, and in particular in my electorate of Belmont. Although this may seem like a harmless way to earn loose change, my office is regularly contacted by locals who have been subjected to verbal abuse and harassment if they do not agree to have their windscreen washed whilst waiting at the lights. Locals have told me of instances in which window washers have hurled abuse at them or engaged in intimidating behaviour that made the driver and passengers feel unsafe in their vehicle. I know of a gentleman who had attended the Anzac Day dawn service at Kings Park and was travelling along the exit ramp from Graham Farmer Freeway onto Great Eastern Highway in Belmont when he was approached by a young woman who wanted to wash his windscreen. When the veteran asked her not to wash his windscreen, she picked up a rock and threw it at his car, damaging the driver’s side. The gentleman contacted his state member of Parliament, my colleague Ben Wyatt, member for Victoria Park, whose office contacted the office of the minister. These people are waiting to pounce on motorists at a number of intersections in my electorate, including the Graham Farmer Freeway off-ramp onto Great Eastern Highway, Belgravia Street and Great Eastern Highway, Brearley Avenue and Great Eastern Highway, and the Great Eastern Highway Bypass, and on some occasions they cause stress to drivers. From talking to other members, I know that this activity takes place at hundreds of intersections. Apart from motorists having to fend off people whilst driving, it is also dangerous for these people to be on the road at very busy intersections. Too often, the lights change and people weave in and out of cars to get off the road and wait for the next change of lights. I was recently contacted by a number of parents from one of my local schools, Belmont Primary School, who regularly have these windscreen washers outside their school grounds at the intersection of Belgravia Street and Great Eastern Highway. The parents notified me that they saw a group of youths who engage in window washing yell at teaching staff and even throw a water bottle at the principal of the school. The Australian Capital Territory is the only place in the country to allow the practice known as “roadside commerce”. Elsewhere, either it is banned or paying someone for it is banned. I know that the minister shares my concerns and those of my electors. I hope that in her capacity as Minister for Police; Road Safety, the minister could employ measures such as an advertising campaign to stop this illegal activity. I thank the minister for taking my grievance. MRS M.H. ROBERTS (Midland — Minister for Police) [9.25 am]: I thank the member for Belmont for raising this important issue. I appreciate that some people may see this as trivial, but the member for Belmont is quite right; this is a dangerous activity. It is particularly dangerous for the people doing the window washing. I have said in this house on many other occasions that pedestrians are vulnerable road users, as are cyclists, because they

3014 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] do not have the protection of a full vehicle around them. Pedestrians are supposed to safely cross the road at crosswalks, traffic lights and so forth, but as the member for Belmont quite rightly pointed out, the people engaging in this activity are literally weaving their way through traffic at intersections and can be seen scampering when the lights turned green. I confirm for the house and anyone who subsequently reads this that this window washing constitutes an offence under section 259 of the Road Traffic Code and can be the subject of a traffic infringement notice. I have seen window washers at some of the intersections the member mentioned on many occasions, particularly at the Graham Farmer Freeway off-ramp onto Great Eastern Highway. On one occasion I had just had my car cleaned and had pristine windows when they attempted to slosh their dirty bucket of water onto my windscreen, which did not impress me. Over the last couple of weeks, I have seen them on the corner of Lord Street and Newcastle Street. We encourage people to ring 131 444 to report any instances of this. In response to complaints, the police have issued move-on notices to individuals involved, which is a reasonably effective way of dealing with it. Police advise me that they are looking at a targeted operation to deal with this activity because it is believed that a relatively small number of people are engaged in it. I was very disturbed to hear the circumstances the member outlined involving the veteran on Anzac Day and the principal and teachers at Belmont Primary School. Police have made contact with the school. They take this seriously because the people engaged in this activity are putting their lives at risk and it puts motorists in an invidious situation. I, too, have heard reports of individuals involved becoming abusive when people do not allow their windscreen to be washed, even if it is already clean. I remind all members of the community that this dangerous activity is an offence under section 259 of the Road Traffic Code and offenders can be subject to a traffic infringement notice or issued move-on notices. People should not be shy about reporting this activity. I know that sometimes people ask, “Is it really that dangerous? Is it really that important? Have the police got more important things to do?” This is a major concern, especially when the individuals involved become abusive towards drivers who do not accept the window washing. Police have this issue on their radar. They are always willing to hear from people if they know of locations where this is occurring. Because the member for Belmont listed this matter as a grievance, I raised it with police in advance of this grievance, and as a consequence there will be a targeted operation. Support is available for any community members, schools or other groups that are finding themselves in the invidious position of having window washers near their premises regularly. ALCOHOL-RELATED HARM — PILBARA Grievance MR K.J.J. MICHEL (Pilbara) [9.30 am]: I direct my grievance to the Minister for Racing and Gaming, Hon Paul Papalia. It is no secret that the alleviation of alcohol-related harm is a tough and complex issue that faces many electorates in Western Australia. Many members across our state recognise the importance of solving this issue through working alongside the department and the director of Liquor Licensing. The Pilbara faces unique challenges in alleviating alcohol-related harm. It has thus far suffered through a patchwork of liquor restrictions across different locations and jurisdictions, with restrictions varying between Port Hedland, Karratha and other towns. I am conscious that the community as a whole does not have confidence that this is working and that it will work in the longer term to ensure that licensees do not continue to suffer and the general community is not restricted. I emphasise that the general community is not restricted. As the minister is well aware, alcohol-related harm refers to the abuse of alcohol that has a significant impact on the rate of domestic violence, child abuse, crime and antisocial behaviour, which in some areas is prolific. The reality is that alcohol-related domestic assaults in the Pilbara were seven times the metropolitan rate and just under double the regional rate when they were measured in 2016. Alcohol is also a factor in a high proportion of suicides in the area. Alcohol-related hospitalisations are significantly higher than the corresponding state rate for Port Hedland and South Hedland and, according to the Department of Communities, most family and domestic violence referrals that it deals with involving the safety of children are alcohol-abuse related. In my electorate of Pilbara and in the other remote areas of the state, I recognise the concerted effort by the authorities, police, government and local communities to tackle the social issues that the misuse of alcohol causes. One of these issues is the practice of sly grogging. This is a harmful and illegal practice whereby people buy large quantities of liquor from areas with no restrictions and drive significant distances to sell it at an inflated price in prescribed areas, often to at-risk and vulnerable members of the community. Unfortunately, the alleviation of alcohol-related harm is a complex issue. Not one policy can solve these issues and interdepartmental coordination is vital in tackling these issues. For me, alleviating this problem is a priority. The people of Pilbara have engaged with me many times about this issue. With long-term foresight, I want to help implement policies that will alleviate these issues without negatively impacting on responsible drinking in the Pilbara. I am proud to see that the budget includes measures that will help to reduce alcohol-related harm, including $12.8 million to continue the north west drug and alcohol support program and $14.8 million towards a step up, step down mental health facility in Karratha.

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I congratulate Minister Paul Papalia for introducing the Liquor Control Amendment Bill 2018 and I commend his ability to engage effectively with his constituents on issues that involve alcohol. I believe that through coordination with the minister and the director of Liquor Licensing, we will be successful in implementing policies with long-term foresight that will alleviate alcohol-related harm without negatively affecting responsible drinking in the Pilbara. My question to the minister is: what measures and policies will the minister’s department introduce to reduce alcohol-related harm? MR P. PAPALIA (Warnbro — Minister for Racing and Gaming) [9.35 am]: I thank the member for his grievance. I note the member’s concerns about the harm inflicted on his community as a consequence of the inappropriate use of alcohol and also his advocacy on behalf of the far greater proportion of the community who drink responsibly and those liquor outlets that act in a responsible manner and aspire to as reasonable a management of liquor licensing as can be achieved. I am aware that the member is receiving some contact and advocacy on behalf of liquor stores and other packaged-liquor outlets with regard to a submission made by the Western Australia Police Force in January 2017 seeking the imposition of further restrictions on the availability of alcohol in Port Hedland because of high levels of alcohol-related harm being experienced in the community. Subsequently, he would be aware that WA police provided an addendum to its Port Hedland report, calling for Pilbara-wide restrictions, and that, doubtless, has caused some degree of concern amongst his small business community that is involved in packaged-liquor sales. The director has not yet made a determination on this request. Therefore, I cannot really comment. It is an independent process. The director’s consideration of section 64 applications and response to those is independent of me and the government; therefore, it is not appropriate that I comment. However, I will make some response to the member’s request for information about what the government is planning to do about Pilbara-wide alcohol management. Under the priority area of tackling alcohol and drugs under the whole-of-government response to the West Pilbara trauma response plan, we have identified liquor controls and restrictions as a necessary component of that response. The West Pilbara trauma response plan, members may be aware, is a whole-of-government response to that horrible situation identified particularly in Roebourne and surrounds in which young children were being assaulted. The Minister for Community Services is leading an across-government response to that, as is necessary, to achieve better outcomes. The plan will address not only the significant damage caused by alcohol, but also the underlying services that are crucial to healing those who are vulnerable to the inappropriate use of alcohol. As the member has already pointed out, huge physical and mental issues are being experienced by people in the Pilbara and its surrounds, including domestic violence, assaults and children suffering from neglect, abuse and a lack of education. We are focused on addressing those issues and part of our response will involve looking at different ways of managing alcohol sales. I have to place on the record that I am supportive of the director of Liquor Licensing and their role to decide, based on evidence from police and other health experts, what is best for the community at the time of the decision. But as there are individual applications in different locations across the state, I agree that the consequence is a patchwork response in many respects to the management of alcohol. There is an opportunity for us to achieve a more targeted and focused response. I will be exploring that in the process of developing the liquor licensing response to the West Pilbara trauma and healing plan. We will be looking at a robust banned drinkers register combined with takeaway alcohol management systems, and also exploring the use of modern technology to ensure that we get something different from what has been experienced in this state to date. In some locations they have tried banned drinking registers and takeaway alcohol management systems, but it has been done using less than modern methodologies and without accessing the full benefits of technologies that are available to us today. We will explore these in our response to the entire West Pilbara plan. Very shortly we will go to Roebourne, Karratha, Port Hedland and other areas of the Pilbara with the member for Pilbara, the member for Mining and Pastoral Region and other members to discuss what we hope to do with licensees, local community authorities, key stakeholders and people in the community. Whatever we come up with will be as a consequence of a collaborative, consultative approach. We will very much include the small businesses associated with sales of packaged liquor. Whatever we do will have an impact on their businesses, and we care about them. I am also the small business minister and the tourism minister. I have an interest beyond just managing liquor, in whatever process we develop. Of course we will be right up-front at the outset, in the early stages, and we will seek advice and comment, particularly from the Aboriginal communities that we are trying to assist, but also from the wider community. We will seek their views and support for whatever we ultimately end up developing and implementing. It will work only in the event that it is supported by the wider community. With respect to the member’s observations about sly grogging, as he knows there are provisions in the Liquor Control Amendment Bill 2018 that specifically target sly grogging. His electorate of Pilbara will benefit from the implementation of that legislation. I look forward to that bill passing through the upper house in the very near term so that we can bring all the benefits associated with the Liquor Control Act amending legislation to the entire community, including the Pilbara.

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HILLARYS PRIMARY SCHOOL — PARKING AND TRAFFIC Grievance MR P.A. KATSAMBANIS (Hillarys) [9.42 am]: My grievance is to the Minister for Tourism in his capacity as representing the Minister for Education and Training in the other place. It is about the very significant traffic and parking problems experienced by the school community at Hillarys Primary School and unfortunately also the neighbours around that school who have to endure the fallout from those problems. I will provide a bit of context in history. The school was opened in the early 1970s and was meant to be a temporary school, with the expectation that at some point a more permanent school would be built elsewhere. Perhaps 45 or so years ago the location may have been appropriate, but today it is really in a landlocked parcel surrounded by residential houses. The main street it is located on, Lymburner Drive, is a narrow, very small residential neighbourhood street. The school can be accessed from various parts. Most people access it from Waterford Drive, which is more of a medium-sized road, and then into Oliver Street. In the mornings and afternoons this area is nothing short of an absolute tragedy waiting to happen. I have been there on a number of occasions at school pick-up and drop-off times and have seen the risks involved for young children and their families as they try to cross the busy Waterford Drive and as parents try to find parking. The residents who live in that area have cars parking in their driveways and on their lawns, sometimes blocking in their cars because someone has parked their car there to pick up their child. A lot of people walk and cycle to school but, as we know in a suburb as large as Hillarys with a catchment area as large as it is, many people have to drive, either because the school is too far to walk to or because they have other commitments and they need to get one kid to one school, one kid to another school and perhaps get to work or to another commitment as well, so they need flexibility. The school has grown and grown. It now has over 600 students. That is a real testament to the principal, the staff and the entire school community, but as the school grows, the pressure on the surrounding area, the road network, the neighbours and the school community itself is growing to manage the traffic problems. I am indebted to a parent at the school, Stephen Kretschmer, who saw the problem and used his professional capacity and capabilities to put together a plan to increase the number of parking bays at the school in what he suggests is a relatively low-cost solution. That will not solve the issue for the adjoining streets, but it will definitely get the cars off the streets when they are parked, and it will alleviate the problems for neighbours as well as young children having to cross a very busy road. I met with Stephen Kretschmer and the school principal, Ron Chesny. The proposal is very detailed. It was forwarded to the City of Joondalup in the first instance because it has control of streets such as Waterford Drive and Oliver Street. In conjunction with Mr Kretschmer and the principal I also wrote to the Minister for Education and Training. I commend the minister in this instance; her response has been really good. Initially the minister wrote back and said — The Department of Education has conducted an audit of parking bays provided at Hillarys Primary School and advised that there is a shortfall, particularly in the number of on-street embayments. A consultant has been engaged to provide a concept design for additional parking along the southern boundary of the school site. That is the area Mr Kretschmer had identified as a potential parking area, particularly because it is located near the early childhood classrooms and is separate from the rest of the school. The minister continued — The design will determine a construction cost, which will allow the project to be considered when formulating the 2018–19 Traffic Management Program. Subsequent correspondence between my office and the minister’s office reveals that the concept design is likely to be completed in term 2, 2018. That is right now, so it is going to be ready. I commend the Department of Education and the Minister for Education and Training for progressing that. The minister’s office indicated that following the announcement of the 2018–19 state government budget, the Department of Education will review all traffic and parking priorities and a decision will be made as to whether this project will be included in the 2018–19 traffic management program. Since the budget came down last week, it is obviously an opportune time to raise this issue. It is an important issue for my local constituents. It is an important issue for the school, which has to deal with complaints from neighbours and delays in getting children to school in the morning. I know this happens across Perth. This is not unique, but it is in my community and it is, as I said, an extraordinarily dangerous area in the mornings and afternoons when people are dropping off and picking up their children from school. Anything we can do to alleviate the pressure would be very welcomed by the community and would reduce those risks and dangers that have been clearly identified. I thank the Minister for Education and Training and her office for the work they have done so far in being so cooperative, but now is the time when the rubber hits the road. The budget has been announced. There are many priorities. What I am seeking from the minister, through the Minister for Tourism in this place, is that the Hillarys Primary School is not forgotten as it has been forgotten too many times in the past, especially in the period I mentioned earlier when the land for the permanent school was sold off, many years ago. Let us not forget the people of Hillarys Primary School and the neighbours around that area. Let us fix the problem before it results in something that we do not want to see. I thank the minister for taking my grievance.

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MR P. PAPALIA (Warnbro — Minister for Tourism) [9.49 am]: I thank the member for Hillarys for this grievance and for his ongoing support of schools in his electorate. I am responding, as the member understands, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Training, so I hope that the member will extend some degree of latitude to me as I will probably read most of the response to ensure that the member gets the words from the minister herself. I understand that the member, as he indicated, has also written to the minister about parking at Hillarys Primary School. Parking and associated traffic issues are a concern at many schools, particularly when multiple schools are in close proximity. There is no single approach to addressing parking and traffic issues around schools. The Department of Education works closely with local councils, Main Roads Western Australia, the Western Australia Police Force, the Department of Transport, the Department of Finance and its Building Management and Works, the Department of Sport and Recreation and school communities to improve safety. It is effectively a collaborative effort. All newly constructed schools are required to comply with Department of Education primary and secondary school design guides. The parking numbers in the design guides are determined with the agreement of the Western Australian Local Government Association. Each new school is provided with a certain number of onsite and street embayments in line with those design briefs and based on student numbers. For example, a primary school with up to 430 students should have 108 bays. These briefs also include areas set aside for student bicycle parking. Of course, older schools—such as Hillarys Primary School— affected by population growth and site restrictions require a collaborative approach to managing traffic congestion and parking issues. Schools are encouraged to participate in the Department of Transport’s and Department of Sport and Recreation’s Your Move program—formerly called TravelSmart. This program promotes behaviour change community-wide as part of school culture, encouraging walking and cycling to school in a safe environment. Kiss ‘n’ Ride drop-off facilities are popular at many schools and require the expertise and approval of local councils and/or Main Roads in their design and construction to manage efficient flow of traffic around the school. Kiss ‘n’ Ride drop-off parking located in the road reserve, such as at Hillarys Primary School, where it is contiguous with the school site, is usually jointly funded by the Department of Education and the local council. Most people would agree it is unfeasible to expect parking to be available for every person all the time. Street parking around the perimeter of schools is often utilised by parents and caregivers. An important step schools and councils can take is to check that street signage is adequate and if further signage around school zones, speed limits and parking restrictions is necessary, schools should work with the local government authority to improve these. This signage is normally funded by the local government authority. School principals are encouraged to raise their concerns with the Department of Education’s capital works and maintenance business area. An officer from the department will be able to undertake an audit and feasibility report on parking bays to see if they meet prescribed parking requirements. Any upgrade works identified can then be considered against other competing school priorities throughout the state. Hillarys Primary School was established in 1973. Current enrolments of students from kindergarten to year 6 are 583. Since 2015, there has been an increase of 46 students from preprimary to year 6. The department has worked with the City of Joondalup to address parking and traffic issues at Hillarys Primary School. In June 2013, the department and the City of Joondalup shared the construction costs of 17 additional parking embayments on Lymburner Drive on the south side of Hillarys Primary School. On 15 February 2018, a Hillarys Primary School parent emailed the department outlining concerns about parking issues at the school. I imagine that person may have been the member’s constituent. He provided a detailed report, which identified an area on the south of the school site where additional parking could be provided. On 21 February 2018, an officer from the department visited the school to discuss the parking situation with the principal and an audit of available parking bays was undertaken. As mentioned earlier, the standard primary school brief provides guidelines for parking both onsite and offsite in the streets surrounding a school. The audit found that although the 67 onsite bays meet the primary school brief number, which is 61 for a school the size of Hillarys Primary School, there was a significant shortfall of 39 parking embayments on adjacent streets. Opportunities for additional on-road embayments in the surrounding road network have been exhausted. In April 2018, a feasibility study was carried out, which identified the location for approximately 40 additional parking bays along the southern boundary of the school site. The cost of the additional parking has been estimated at $434 000. This is approximately double the normal cost per parking bay due to the difficulties in developing the steeply sloping site. A copy of the design concept was provided to the school principal on 9 May 2018 and he was advised that the project would now be considered when formulating the department’s 2018–19 traffic management program. The department allocates funding in its recurrent budget to address traffic issues at all schools through the traffic management program. Traffic management priorities are currently being assessed at schools across the state and it is expected to be finalised by the end of June 2018. Traffic issues at Hillarys Primary School will be assessed and prioritised in this process. PORT BOUVARD RECREATION AND SPORTING CLUB Grievance MR Z.R.F. KIRKUP (Dawesville) [9.54 am]: My grievance this morning is to the Minister for Sport and Recreation. At the outset, I thank him for taking my grievance on behalf of the Port Bouvard Recreation and Sporting Club. This club was established in 1979 and is one of the popular recreation and sporting clubs in my

3018 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] district with more than 660 members. It provides an important location in our community south of the Cut where hundreds of people meet and participate in a whole manner of sports including predominantly bowls, and also tennis, croquet, yachting and a whole bunch of recreation activities including arts and crafts. Carpet bowls, bootscooting and a night market also occur in this part of the world in Dawesville where the club was established in the 1970s. It is a real community hub and many people who are not members go there for a range of events. It is especially popular for the gunfire breakfast after the Anzac Day service, and because of that the Dawesville RSL also operates from the Port Bouvard Rec and Sport Club. The issue I would like to raise with the minister today relates to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries grant that was provided through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund. As the minister knows, having written to him in April this year, the Port Bouvard club went through the resurfacing of the A green of its bowling club, which was based on the total resurfacing cost of $199 000. The resurfacing was approved and the club went through a process to get one-third of the cost funded through a grant from CSRFF and one-third of the cost from the City of Mandurah, with the last third being its own contribution. After that grant was initially approved, the club subsequently, through its own efficiencies, found a cheaper and more optimal solution. The cost of works then came down to $148 000. All the way through the process, the club had been very open and honest with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and the City of Mandurah about that reduction in cost. A number of communications were made, certainly with the lead agency in the City of Mandurah, in which the club was assured by the City of Mandurah that the reduction in resurfacing costs would not impact the CSRFF grant or the City of Mandurah’s contribution based on the original cost of $199 000. Given that the club had been up-front and provided with a range of assurances that this cost reduction would not impact the grant provided, it was quite a concern to the club, as the minister would appreciate, when in March this year it received an invoice from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries to the value of $8 816.50 to reclaim some of the CSRFF grant that the department considered to be unexpended. As the minister would appreciate, my concern is that this is a local club that is entirely part of the community and run by the community. To have been so transparent and up-front about the reduction in costs and assured that there would be no reduction in grants, and then to receive this invoice to pay back money was quite a shock that the club had not anticipated, given that this process had taken the better part of the year to get to this point. As I said at the start of my grievance, the Port Bouvard Recreation and Sporting Club provides a very valuable and important service in an area of Dawesville that is typically underinvested in. A large number of people in the community come to the club to enjoy not only sporting and recreational activities, but also other things such as the gunfire breakfast and interactions with the RSL. I appreciate that the minister is taking my grievance this morning and acknowledge his previous correspondence advising that he has looked into the matter but, unfortunately, he has come back and said that the club would have to pay back the sum of $8 000. My grievance here this morning is, as a patron of the club, to implore on behalf of the club the minister to revisit this in good faith and allow the club to retain the $8 000 so that it can reinvest it into the club. It would not be money simply sitting in a bank; it would be reinvested into the club and, ultimately, spent in the spirit of what the community sporting and recreation facilities fund in its incarnation would hope to achieve in the provision of these important community grants. It would be good if it were at all possible for the Department of Sport and Recreation and the minister to look at this in good faith and realise that the club had acted with openness and integrity the whole way though, having been assured that it would not have a negative impact on its process and, even having been up-front, and that it would be provided with the exact same amount, as though the resurfacing costs were based on the $199 000 figure rather than $148 000. It would enable not just the 660-plus members who use the club to continue to have a vibrant facility and one that I think would be better invested in if they were to keep that money rather than it being returned, but also it would enable the greater community of Dawesville to enjoy what is clearly a very popular location and facility and a very popular recreation and sporting club. Again, I appreciate the minister’s looking into this further and I appreciate the correspondence we have had to date. I again appeal to him on behalf of not just the club, but the broader Dawesville community, to, hopefully, get some good news here this morning that might see that club keep a very minuscule amount compared with the larger sporting budget the minister oversees and certainly the CSRFF grants round. It will be an important and quite substantial amount for the club to keep going forward. MR M.P. MURRAY (Collie–Preston — Minister for Sport and Recreation) [10.00 am]: Thank you, member for Dawesville. I always welcome hearing problems raised in here. I say up-front that, unfortunately, I will not be able to accede to his request. I must make it very clear that a grant agreement was in place, which certainly set out what funding was available and how it should be spent. I take my hat off to the club itself, which has worked very hard to keep down costs, generally. The problem is an overrun, although in this case the club has been very vigilant and I take my hat off to it. As a grant has been signed off, the excess funding has to come back. I have taken steps to make sure it does not happen to other clubs. Unfortunately, there is a cut-off line. I am asking the department to make sure payments are

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3019 made in steps so that overruns do not occur and that milestone payments are made along the way. In saying that, this is not the only club. I have copped the same sort of thing from my club in Capel in my electorate. That puts the focus on the fact that the way we have been doing things has not been quite right. People could claim for an overspend and that money was then funnelled off when it should probably have gone to another club. The other thing I must make very clear is that clubs have to understand that, especially with artificial surfaces, most of them probably have a 10 or 12-year life span. They therefore must put money away; they cannot use the turf or carpet—whatever it is called—for 10 years and come to the government asking for a handout. It could add 5c to the cost of a glass of beer or something like that, with a sign in the club indicating that 5c of the cost of their glass of beer will go into a sinking fund that will pay for the next lot of turf. It is becoming ridiculous that right across the state, whether it be tennis, croquet, or whatever we look at, people are coming to the government for a handout. To the disappointment of some, I have reduced the amount available from the $12 million fund, which is over-subscribed by a huge amount. Some of the larger centres, such as the growth areas in Mandurah, may want a big facility, but that could soak up 20 or 30 per cent of that fund in one hit, so we have to be very careful. Nevertheless, I really understand where the member is coming from. The other point I make strongly is that in Whitfords, a young group of people wanted turf on their hockey field. They raised $600 000 and never asked for any money. In real terms, that club is subsidising someone else because it did not take any money out of the fund. By very hard work, it either has been penalised to some degree or is subsidising another club. I will not mention the name but another one down the road had its carpet for 12 years but did not have one cent in the bank to replace it. That is not good financial management and it is something the clubs must come to grips with. I will certainly put in place that funding. We will need to establish a sinking fund beside it so that as we move on, there is financial assistance from the club. That does not mean to say that I am ruling out assistance for some of the smaller clubs that will not have the ability to raise large amounts. The member for Dawesville’s club has 660-odd members, while some clubs will have only 50 members. How would they find roughly $300 000 for a bowling green? They would not, so they need assistance. I am working very hard to make it a fair system, but due to the grant agreement, I cannot change what the Port Bouvard Recreation and Sporting Club has done. Other clubs have far greater financial responsibility to pay funds back to the department, which they have not paid, and I am sure they will get the same response as this club is receiving. However, I take my hat off to it. It is not as though we are trying to single someone out—it is certainly not that. It is about being fair and honouring agreements. To the club itself, I wish it the best but, unfortunately, in this case, I cannot help. Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup: Thank you, minister. JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON DELEGATED LEGISLATION Tenth Report — “Annual Report 2017” — Tabling MS E. HAMILTON (Joondalup) [10.06 am]: I present for tabling the tenth report of the Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation titled “Annual Report 2017”. [See paper 1355.] Ms E. HAMILTON: The report I have just tabled advises the house of the key activities of the Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation for the 2018 calendar year. The committee scrutinises instruments made under statutory delegation and determines whether the instruments are beyond the scope of the delegated power or otherwise in breach of the committee’s terms of reference. The committee continues to scrutinise a large volume of delegated legislation. In 2017, 404 instruments, including 190 regulations and 141 local laws, were referred for scrutiny. The committee tabled six reports. In four of those reports, the Parliament was asked to consider whether five instruments should be disallowed; all five instruments were disallowed by this house. Motions for the disallowance of delegated legislation usually do not proceed in the Parliament if satisfactory undertakings are given to the committee. The committee recommends disallowance only as a last resort. During 2017, the committee received four departmental and 30 local government undertakings. The committee encountered two sets of amendment regulations that had the effect of abrogating a fundamental common law principle. The committee found that, in each case, the abrogation was not authorised by the empowering acts. Satisfactory undertakings were received in both instances. Four local laws breached their empowering acts due to procedural defects. The Parliament disallowed these instruments at the committee’s recommendation. The committee also dealt with a number of systemic issues in local laws. These issues did not result in disallowances because the affected local governments provided the committee with acceptable undertakings. Section 3.12(2A) of the Local Government Act 1995 excuses minor procedural errors in local law-making. It has now been operating for over 12 months and 2017 is the first year in which the committee has had the opportunity to apply it. The report discusses examples of occasions when the committee has and has not applied the section. The committee trusts that the matters noted in this report will assist persons and bodies making delegated legislation to understand the committee’s processes and the issues identified in previous instruments. I commend the report to the house.

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Eleventh Report — “Shire of Broome Parking and Parking Facilities Amendment Local Law (2) 2017” — Tabling MS E. HAMILTON (Joondalup) [10.09 am]: I present for tabling the eleventh report of the Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation titled “Shire of Broome Parking and Parking Facilities Amendment Local Law (2) 2017”. [See paper 1356.] Ms E. HAMILTON: The report I have just tabled advises the house of the committee’s conclusion that the Shire of Broome did not comply substantially with the mandatory procedures prescribed in section 3.12 of the Local Government Act 1995 when it made the Shire of Broome Parking and Parking Facilities Amendment Local Law (2) 2017. The shire failed to notify the Minister for Local Government of its intent to make the local law. Pursuant to section 3.12(3)(b) of the Local Government Act 1995, the shire was to provide the minister with a copy of the proposed local law and the statewide advertisement notifying the public of the proposed local law. In the committee’s view, the local law was made invalidly and, consequently, is not within the power granted by the empowering act. The committee recommends that the local law be disallowed. Disallowing invalid local laws ensures that they are removed from the public record, thereby reducing the risk of public misinformation. I commend the report to the house. APPROPRIATION (RECURRENT 2018–19) BILL 2018 APPROPRIATION (CAPITAL 2018–19) BILL 2018 Second Reading — Cognate Debate Resumed from 16 May. DR M.D. NAHAN (Riverton — Leader of the Opposition) [10.10 am]: It is my pleasure to comment on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018, and specifically the budget. The spin of the budget was that it was boring. As in most cases, this spin was inaccurate. There is a whole range of extremely interesting and surprising aspects to this budget. There are only a limited number of commentators in Western Australia who are interested in budget analysis. The government used that spin because it did not want them to look at the detail. I would like to look at some of the detail, as my colleagues also have. First of all, there is some extremely good news in the budget. Budget issues have been touched on, but not well. There are two major aspects of it. The major structural weakness in the former government’s budgets, and indeed the reason for the large deficit and accumulation of debt, was a collapse in revenue. That was about three or four years ago. There was a simultaneous collapse in the three main sources of revenue to the state. Firstly, grants from the commonwealth, specifically GST payments, went below 30 per cent. It was a record low in the history of this state. Secondly, iron ore prices dropped from heights of over $100 to $37.70 a tonne. Thirdly, the economy effectively went into a recession and therefore all own-source revenue to the state—payroll tax, stamp duty, land tax and the like—virtually collapsed. As a result, that exposed the government of the day, of which I was the Treasurer, to massive falls in revenue. I can remember writing down $16.5 million in revenue in a single year. This budget shows that these events of a few years ago have come back. Total grants from the commonwealth in 2016–17 to 2021–22 have increased on an annualised basis by 45 per cent. GST payments from 2016–17 to 2021–22 go from about a 30 per cent share to 65 per cent. That is a 265 per cent increase from 2016–17 to 2021–22. GST is back to a height that we have not seen for a decade. Indeed, in two years’ time the total payment of GST to the state will be the highest ever, in nominal terms. GST has come rushing back. More importantly, royalty income, which has been highly volatile, predictably iron ore royalty income—which is the mainstay of the royalty income—has not only stabilised at quite a high level but has been supplemented by income from gold, lithium and others. Over the forward estimates there is a $1.1 billion increase in royalty payments. All told, something like $12 billion worth of additional revenue beyond what we experienced flowed to the government. That is good. The major structural weakness of the budget was—always was—the collapse in revenue a number of years ago. That has come back to a large extent over the forward estimates. In opposition, the Labor Party said the structural weakness was expenditure, not revenue. It said the GST was always predictable. The Labor Party changed its tune somewhat when it got into government. The good news is that there has been a massive increase in revenue to the state. It also raises the issue of GST reform, which is still a task, particularly a floor of some sort, and the method by which it is assessed. Western Australia expects a 65 per cent share, and growing—I do not know where it is going because I have do not have access to Treasury, but it appears to be growing. In a few years, it will be over 70 per cent. That brings into question the further gains from GST reform. The two largest sources of income are commonwealth grants, which are rapidly increasing, and royalty income, which is increasing. The price of iron ore is stabilising. The other area the government is predicting a very rapid increase in income from is its own-source revenue. The reality is that over the last four years the largest source of income from our economy, like all modern economies, has been household expenditure. That accounts for 45 per cent of state demand. It has been in the doldrums. The

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3021 unemployment rate has been high and income growth is low. There is uncertainty in housing, and negative equity. It has been a tough four or five years. The government has forecast rapid improvement over the next four years. It forecasts a dramatic improvement; in fact some of it is unbelievable. Right now, population growth is stagnant. It is the lowest it has been in decades. The government expects population growth from interstate or international migration to go back up to where it was during boom times—that is, about 1 000-plus people a week migrating to Western Australia. It predicts rapid improvement in the economy, starting from now, generating large amounts of own-source income. I accept that the government and a whole range of commentators have been talking up the economy. That can be read daily in The West Australian. It is the government’s job to put optimism back in the economy. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and others that represent business want to rekindle the animal spirits of spending. That is fair enough. My concern is twofold. Firstly, looking at the evidence before us, there is a slim basis for optimism about a quick recovery in the domestic economy of Western Australia. Data came out a few minutes ago that shows the unemployment rate in Western Australia is 6.5 per cent. Admittedly, it is down from last month after being seasonally adjusted. It is volatile, but it is still the highest in the nation. Again, over the last 12 months, unemployment numbers have grown and overall employment has shrunk. The key ways to rekindle spending are twofold: household incomes and the number of households—population growth. Yesterday’s data on wage increases showed that Western Australia has the lowest wages growth in the nation. It is below the inflation rate. That means, on average, household incomes are shrinking in real terms. They are the lowest in the nation. What really rekindles spending is the balance sheets of households. Underpinning that are house prices and mortgage levels. As the shadow Treasurer highlighted yesterday, they are a mess, with record levels of mortgage stress and others. On the population side, based fundamentally on interstate and international migration, natural population growth has done well, but I tell members that there is no cause for optimism at all, particularly when immigration numbers are restricted. There is some doubt about the recovery of own-source revenue. We will see. I hope they are right and that our worries are untold, but, gee, I do not see the cause for it. The real problem is that the recovery in the domestic economy is one of the government’s justifications for another round of very large increases in fees and charges, specifically electricity and water. That brings the hit on household budgets to $730 in less than a year. Looking at the evidence, the vast bulk of the community cannot afford that. It is an imposition that will not only send some of them further into debt, but it will also undermine the recovery of the economy. It is a very foolish attempt. We looked at that when we were in government and we had forecasts in the forward estimates of six per cent or seven per cent growth in electricity prices under my watch each year, but because of the pace of the economy, because of the impact of the economy, we came in low. The forward estimates were an indication; they were not the policy. My colleague the member for Cottesloe has gone through the situation with water in quite good detail, but I can say there is no doubt that the decision of the government on water prices means that it is consciously using the Water Corporation as a taxing mechanism, and the Premier said in the media that he would continue to do so. I suspect that the Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation will struggle with this. The Economic Regulation Authority report is new. We commissioned it to look at the issue. It is not just a recycled report from 2011–12, as the Treasurer claims. It was a new report that looked at the issue and it stated quite clearly—it is there for all to read—based on updated data that the Water Corporation should now collect $330 million above its cost. That is the equivalent to an average impact of $400 per household. A new higher charging tier has also been introduced, charging $4.40 per kilolitre after use over 500 kilolitres. To put it in context, that means that the minimum water charge for people at 500 kilolitres is $2 200 a year of which $1 000 is tax. Therefore, high water users are having a minimum of $ 1000 in tax imposed on them. By the way, the average marginal cost of water use is $2.40, so the government is charging a tax on high water users of $2 per kilolitre. That is way above the cost of production. The government is trying to explain this on the basis that it will defray the need to expand on a desalination plant, but as the member for Cottesloe and the ERA point out, demand for water is inelastic, and that will not affect demand significantly at all. More importantly, if anybody looks into it, and Treasury would have informed the government of this, there is no correlation between water consumption and income. Those who will be hit hardest are the people in the government’s own electorates, people who have large households, big yards and no bores. That is what the government is choosing to do. That will not only hit households hard, but it will undermine the effect. The other good news is about debt and deficit. According to the forward estimates, debt reduces in the forward estimates by 10 per cent and then shifts to a surplus. What is the major cause for that turnaround? It is the good news I mentioned earlier—the commonwealth revenue along with increases in iron ore prices. In other words, debt and deficit are overwhelmingly reduced by factors that this government has no involvement with at all. The increases in tied grants are solely a function of the Turnbull government. Government had nothing to do with the increase in GST revenue; it is a function of the GST system. This government, if anything, has undermined iron ore and other royalty income growth; it has had no positive impact on the growth of royalty income, GST income and, indeed, tied grants. In other words, the government has rowed the tiger of revenue back—luckily it has come back—and has put that to reducing debt and deficit.

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Mr M. Hughes: What about restrained expenditure? Dr M.D. NAHAN: I will go to expenditure in a minute. That is good; the government has put that to the deficit. There is a problem with the debt, however. The question we asked last year was: how could the government promise to spend $5 billion on Metronet and other things— that amount has grown since then—and pay down debt like a mortgage? The government appears to have done this. I explained that some of this is due to the tied grants from the commonwealth. In fact, if we include the redirection of $1.2 billion from Roe 8 and this latest infrastructure spend by the commonwealth, the government will receive $4.4 billion for infrastructure over about a 10-year period from the Turnbull government. That is generous in the extreme and included in the last commonwealth budget was a very large infrastructure spend, and Western Australia gets 15 per cent of it. In other words, thanks to the Turnbull government, Western Australia will receive $3.2 billion, which on a per capita basis is substantially above the other states’ share. That is good. The commonwealth has largely funded the government’s election promises. Then on top of that there is growth in GST revenue. The real issue, however, is that there is $1.5 billion in infrastructure spend excluded from the budget. It is very easy for the government to say it is increasing its capital spend substantially on Metronet, roads and rail, and these were pre-budget announcements, but for most of them, from the state’s perspective, there is no skin in the action in this budget. Indeed, there was the big announcement about rail rolling stock, which is the government’s biggest claim to a job creation program; that is, it is going to build railcars with at least 50 per cent of local content. Much of the rolling stock investment in the last budget, the 2017–18 budget, has been pushed out to the forward estimates. In this budget, the new railcars, the big job-creation program, has been pushed out in its entirety to the never-never beyond the forward estimates. In other words, the commitment that the government announced of a large railcar expansion before the budget is not going to start for three to four years and none of the money is in the budget—that is approximately $1.2 billion. Also, none of the Metronet and road funding that the government committed to the other day with the commonwealth is in the budget—commonwealth or state. The question is: how can the government create jobs if its major infrastructure stimulus is not in the budget? It is not provisioned and not allocated for. [Member’s time extended.] Dr M.D. NAHAN: As we discussed briefly yesterday, the only money for Metronet mark 2—the Ellenbrook rail line and the Byford extension—is from the commonwealth. The state money is not there. I suppose the state government has entered into an agreement with the commonwealth that the commonwealth will fund the entirety of Ellenbrook and Byford for the next three to four years with no state involvement whatsoever. It would not be cynical to say that the state government has sold those projects entirely to the Turnbull government. If the state government is putting no money in them, it has sold them off. He who funds the project owns the project, and the $750 million of matched funding required for Metronet mark 2 is not in the budget. It is pretty easy to reduce debt by promising major expenditure, booking employment growth on the basis of that expenditure, sticking most of that expenditure into the never-never and not starting any funding for it in the next three years. That is a new approach. Yesterday, when we asked the question, the Treasurer ridiculed us that we made a commitment to MAX light rail and put money in the budget for it on a provisional basis, then took it out. Yes, we did. The only way to commit to something is to put money in the budget for it, and we provided for it. Then, when we decided to pull the project, we took the money out of the budget. That is what budgeting is for, and that is what the government has done with the commonwealth money. It has put provisions of $750 million from the commonwealth for Metronet mark 2 into the budget, but it has not put its own money into it. Another major area of expenditure growth cuts has been in royalties for regions. The government likes to play the game: “We’re the ones who are going to save RforR,” but in reality the government is playing a cynical game and it will be caught out, because by 2012–21, 58 per cent of the money that is going into the royalties for regions’ fund will leak out into the consolidated fund. We know that; the government knows that. It is a fair enough adjustment if the government wants to do it, but stop the hypocrisy and dishonesty about sustaining royalties for regions as a standalone billion dollar fund. It is a con job. The government will get caught out. No-one will fall for it, particularly since it is targeted to rural and regional areas. They know what the government is up to. One hallmark of this budget, for which the Treasurer has received plaudits from the private sector, is restraint on expenditure growth. He claims that over the forward estimates in the last three years it was 0.9 per cent. I will say that there is substantial expenditure growth restraint in this budget. It is not quite as low as the Treasurer says for a couple of reasons. First, the headline figure is substantially reduced by treatments of the National Disability Insurance Scheme; the shadow Treasurer went through this in detail yesterday. Basically, once it adjusts for the ins and outs of the NDIS, expenditure growth will be a little bit less than 2 to 2.5 per cent, something like that— that is when it is adjusted and we forget about the RforR fiddle. That is pretty tight growth. I experienced that in the last three years I was Treasurer, too. What upset me yesterday was that the Treasurer, in his response to the motion during private members’ business, attempted to blame us for the expenditure cuts he is putting in place—that is, he said, I think in the 2014–15 budget, the former Liberal–National government had a whole range of expenditure restraints. I remember them in detail:

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3023 the agency expenditure review, workforce reform and a whole range of others. He said that they were just aggregate efficiencies without specific methodology and targeting in the budget. That is false. Mr B.S. Wyatt: That’s exactly what they are. Dr M.D. NAHAN: That is completely false! The agency expenditure review — Mr B.S. Wyatt: You were caught out, hiding from your global allocations. Dr M.D. NAHAN: No, no. Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected. The SPEAKER: Treasurer. Dr M.D. NAHAN: The Treasurer got caught out telling a porky. The agency expenditure review was a detailed assessment, department by department, run by the former head of the federal finance committee. Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected. The SPEAKER: Treasurer! You were heard in silence. Dr M.D. NAHAN: It went through those and identified in great detail where it is in each project, giving each department a target of between 1.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent. We did not leave it up to a global figure; we did not leave it to the departments. We sat in the Expenditure Review Committee, day after day, identifying exactly the sources of efficiencies, and they were all accounted for and specified in the budget. That is what has to be done to achieve real reform. Mr W.R. Marmion: It was achieved in the Department of Finance. Dr M.D. NAHAN: It was achieved in the Department of Finance. Every minister went there. If a minister or department did not achieve what we believed to be appropriate cuts—like happened in Education; they put forward junk like Schools of the Air—which they did, we had a separate body that identified that and went into great detail. We did exactly the opposite of what the Treasurer said yesterday. Then he has the temerity to say, “When I came into government, I had all these unallocated, and all my cuts are just yours being implemented.” What crap! What rubbish! He went out here. Here is a man who wants to be the fiscal fiend of the Labor Party, bragging how good he was. He forgets. Now he is saying that they did not have voluntary redundancy—he did. We did too. That is great; that is part of the government’s reform agenda. Also, he has reductions in wages to $1 000. Good—he did that. That is good reform. Some of the government’s reductions in the senior executive service will come back to haunt it, because the SES will be basically looking at its navel for the rest four years, unable to be reformed. Nonetheless, let us see what happens. That is up to you. The real problem is — The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, talk through the Chair. It makes it hard for Hansard when you are facing the other way. Dr M.D. NAHAN: The real problem is that the Treasurer has in this budget identified and specified further cuts to budgets. The Treasurer wants to brag about it on an aggregate basis and then hide from it in reality, like he has done. He goes out and says, “I’m the one reforming the public sector—me, the Treasurer. We’re doing it. The other mob couldn’t do it; it is growing by 6.5 per cent, some rah, rah, rah!” Then when it comes to being accountable for his actions, he hides. He crawls away. He basically says, “I’m just doing nothing more than the other mob.” He tries to blame us for the government’s expenditure cuts. Cop it sweet! Every one of the major departments, from the 2017–18 budget, which was the government’s budget, to this budget, has had substantial cuts, over and beyond the ones the Treasurer announced last budget. Mr B.S. Wyatt: Which ones are reducing? Dr M.D. NAHAN: Health. Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected. Dr M.D. NAHAN: Let me finish. Comparing appropriations between 2017–18 — Mr B.S. Wyatt: Total cost to service. Dr M.D. NAHAN: No, no—it is just state spending—appropriation. Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected. Dr M.D. NAHAN: The Treasurer will get his chance to respond. I know that the commonwealth has put more money into Health and Education and he is trying to claim that as his. Mr B.S. Wyatt: It’s not — Dr M.D. NAHAN: Yes, you are.

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Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected. The SPEAKER: Treasurer, I will not remind you again. Dr M.D. NAHAN: Over the forward estimates the Health spend, if we compare 2017–18 to 2018–19, goes down by $201 million. What else is the Treasurer going to cut? On the one hand, he brags about cutting the per capita state Health spend—he said it was 20 per cent above the national and the government was going to cut it substantially. Then he says that there are no cuts to the budget. I have pointed out that the appropriations for Health, which is a regular figure from 2017–18 to 2018–19, goes down by $200 million. They are in his budgets; they are his. He cannot blame us for them. He then brags that the government is driving efficiencies, but when it comes down to being accountable for whether the government will achieve it, he hides under a rock and blames everybody else. Education is down $281 million over the forward estimates. This is his whole budget. The Premier was outside yesterday, saying “No, there’re no cuts. We are increasing.” When this data was put to him, he basically did not answer, as usual. Then Police is down $520 000. That is not much of a decrease. Communities—I will put that aside because the NDIS distorts that. Justice is down $34 million. In other words, the Treasurer brags that he has cut expenditure growth sharply. He seeks plaudits for doing that, but then when it comes to explaining how he did it, he is vague. But when it comes down to the detail of it happening—in other words, he is doing what he said he would do—he denies it. The Treasurer cannot expect with a 1.5 per cent or two per cent growth in population to have no growth in Health and Education—indeed, he is cutting and taking more money out of Education to the tune of $280 million over four years—and expect there will be no reductions in certain programs. By the way, during that period there have been 500 extra education assistants and teachers. There is increasing demand on school attendance, and the public sector is growing. The government is putting in more EAs, who are funded through a certain source, putting on more teachers, and demand is increasing, but it is taking state money out of the system compared with the last budget. It is saying that there are no cuts. That is ridiculous. It is dishonest. It is absurd. On the one hand—this is the mark of the Labor Party—it is saying, “We are fiscally responsible,” but when it comes down to the detail of how it is actually going to do it, it is reverting to the roles of the past. When we put in reforms for efficiencies, Labor Party members whinged and whined, and voted against every one of them. It criticised us for the macro detail—that is, we spent too much—and when we looked at it in detail, there was an area in which it did not want more money spent, except rural expenditure. Now, in government, the Labor Party is claiming it has achieved the macro one, forgetting about the wave of commonwealth money that is coming in. It is taking total credit for that, which it had nothing to do with. The Labor Party is taking credit for the sustained high increases in royalty payments; it had nothing to do with those. It is predicting a sharp recovery in the economy—good luck to it. It is not only underestimating expenditure growth, but also trying hide from the accountability. We on this side, just like the former opposition, will hold the government to account every time it cuts a program. Every time the government backflips—like the Premier will—we will hold it to account. Yesterday he said there will be no cuts to education—watch! Of course the Minister for Education in the other house was more honest and said there will be more. “There have to be”, as she said yesterday. “There will be more; there have to be. They are in the budget.” We will hold the government to account. It is bragging about being a fiscal fiend and cutting expenditure, but we will hold the government to account for the macro and the micro. MR S.K. L’ESTRANGE (Churchlands) [10.40 am]: Any state government budget has two significant aspects. The first is the planning and execution of how essential frontline services will be improved and delivered to the people of Western Australia. The second is how the government will shape the economy of Western Australia so that all Western Australians feel confident that their standard of living will improve. One of the key essential services is health. Every man, woman and child in every corner of Western Australia relies on a safe, effective and advancing health and mental health service. This second Labor government budget represents the halfway point in its fiscal leadership of this term of government, and it will not adequately advance the health system in Western Australia. We are concerned. The opposition is concerned because analysis of the Labor health budget shows cuts of more than $200 million. Comparison of Labor’s first and second budgets shows cuts of $37 million in 2018–19, $74 million in 2019–20, and $90 million in 2020–21. The other day in question time we asked the minister whether he could list the services that will be impacted by these cuts; unfortunately, the minister declined to offer up that list or answer that aspect of the question. The Labor government has also failed to adequately plan for the ongoing health infrastructure needs of Western Australia. I will highlight to members some commentary on this from the Australian Medical Association WA in a media release of 10 May. In part the media release, which was in response to the Labor state budget, states — “We badly need a plan for the future of health services in WA. We know that demand will continue to rise … … Dr Khorshid said the AMA (WA) was especially concerned about an 83 per cent cut in infrastructure spending between this 2017/18 and 2021/22.

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… “There is no specific spending outlined for King Edward Memorial Hospital or Graylands Hospital and almost no funding for the future of Royal Perth Hospital. … “We need a total plan for health that delivers on emergency care and elective surgery, with real increases in spending that will cope with rising demand. “Today’s Budget has failed to provide for WA’s health future,” Dr Khorshid said. That is a pretty damning account of the health budget from a key stakeholder in the health sector in Western Australia—the Australian Medical Association WA. Furthermore, we are confronting a critical shortage of general practitioners. GPs represent the coalface of the health sector. They are the first in the health system to see and help most patients. The recent media commentary on this was not good. The Sunday Times article of 6 May titled “Prognosis: Disastrous: GP shortage makes WA worst State in Oz—and future looks bleak” states, in part — A new Department of Health report shows there was a shortfall of 534 general practitioners in 2015 and warns the ageing GP workforce is being replaced by millennials who want to work less. … The median age of GPs in WA is now 55 and many are facing retirement. About 500 metropolitan GPs and 134 rural GPs were due to retire by 2021. A shortfall of 774 GPs was expected by then, which would be 974 by 2025. That infrastructure needs are not being catered for in the forward estimates is a real concern. GP shortages have not been addressed in the shaping of this health budget. We all read media releases put out by the Labor government. They are many and varied and discuss how the government will deliver on the health and community programs it will introduce. However, in this budget a large number are listed as longer term election commitments, with no funding yet allocated to them. Government platitudes must be backed up with budget money. The government cannot put out media releases telling people what it is doing for them if it has no intention of actually doing those things because it has not allocated money to the programs. It is simply not fair. I will quote some longer term election commitments with no funding yet allocated them that appear in the budget — – the upgrade of the Collie and Bunbury Hospitals, a renal dialysis service at Newman Hospital, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner at Kalgoorlie and the establishment of a Kimberley Mobile Dialysis Unit; − the Review of Regional and Country Ambulance and Royal Flying Doctor Service; − investigating options to provide Culturally Appropriate Housing for Regional Visitors, as well as Medihotels and Urgent Care Clinic concepts, in different locations within the Perth metropolitan region; − the review of Fremantle Hospital; … − consultation with stakeholders to introduce and implement the State Men’s Health and Wellbeing policy, aimed at improving the wellbeing of men in Western Australia; − a campaign to reduce Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) with key activities including the provision of routine FDV screening for antenatal patients and FDV training for health workers; … − the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, which proposes to provide a secure source of funding for Western Australian health and medical research. As part of this election commitment, a new long-term strategic approach to cancer research for Western Australia will be implemented in the form of a 10 year Cancer Research Plan. These appear in the budget under the title “Longer Term Election Commitments” with no funding yet allocated to them. These frontline health service proposals certainly sound necessary. We can see merit in what the government is advocating, but without allocating funding, it is talking the talk but simply not walking the walk. The second thing of critical importance and significance in a state government budget is how the government will shape the economy of Western Australia so that all Western Australians feel confident that their standard of living will rise. Unfortunately, this budget and the way the government is managing the economy of Western Australia is not doing that well. It is not looking after the people of Western Australia. We know the government was elected

3026 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] on its platform of fairness, compassion, jobs, no new taxes, no increases to taxes, paying off debt like a mortgage and no increases to fees and charges. A critique of that platform shows that this Labor government has failed dismally on all fronts. I will show members how that has happened. Premier McGowan’s performance has taken the shine off this new state Labor government. The shine has very much worn off already after just two budgets and in just over one year. I will read members some interesting information. On 23 October 2016, The Sunday Times quoted Premier McGowan, when he was Leader of the Opposition, as saying — I know families cannot afford higher power bill increases. In a 29 October 2015 media release, the now Treasurer stated — With the WA economy slowing down, the last thing we need is the Liberal Government raising taxes on businesses and households. These were the conditions in which Labor went into the election, clearly indicating to the people of Western Australia that it was about not increasing fees and charges when people were doing it tough and the economy was sluggish, and not increasing taxes. It took those two clear commitments to the election. Where do we find ourselves now? The Premier said that the last thing the government should do is raise taxes on businesses and households and he said there would be no new taxes or increases to taxes. Yet in a short space of time the government has increased payroll tax, made gold tax hike attempt 1, gold tax hike attempt 2, and then come back for a second hit at the payroll tax by removing the training levy. The shadow Minister for Water, the shadow Treasurer and the Leader of the Opposition have highlighted what the government is doing with water. A 15 February 2018 PerthNow article titled “WA households ripped off in water bills” states — The report, released in November by the Economic Regulation Authority, found Perth sewerage charges in particular were 42 per cent above the Water Corp’s cost of providing the service. It is 42 per cent above the cost! Government members say that it is not a tax. But if it walks like a tax and quacks like a tax, it is a tax. This is another example of people being slugged with increased taxes disguised as fees and charges. What about the McGowan government’s promise to keep those fees and charges down to the rate of inflation? How is that going? The shadow Treasurer outlined in his contribution that our analysis shows that the cost of living has increased by 13 times the rate of inflation. Those who were listening to the radio this morning would have heard that a report has come out stating that wages growth in Western Australia is stagnant. Households are not getting any wage growth relief at a time when this Labor government, in this and last year’s budget, has increased fees and charges. In just over one year it has increased electricity by 17.9 per cent, water by 11.5 per cent and vehicle charges by 7.6 per cent. To the 40 or so government backbenchers in this chamber, kicking your constituents while they are down has taken the shine off this government in a very short space of time. Another article highlights exactly how tough it is out there and the government’s lack of fairness and compassion. It lacks the ingenuity and creativity to have a budget that will propel the economy of Western Australia forward, give people jobs and keep costs down. It is a great shame that it is unable to do it. A May 2018 article in The West Australian titled “Confidence rises but spending still on hold” was about a survey done by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. It states — The survey found 64 per cent of respondents cited costs associated with groceries, utilities and transport as major day-to-day issues. That is just surviving! It continues — The chamber found one in three people said they spent more than they earnt in the past three months. About 17 per cent had to borrow money from a family member or friend, and 19 per cent said they were unable to pay a bill on time. … two-thirds of people saying they were unlikely to buy any household appliances worth more than $2000 in the coming quarter. … National Australia Bank showed loan default rates among its WA customers continued to rise. … the number of WA customers at least 90 days behind on their mortgages had doubled in the past two years … Western Australian is under financial stress. This is not the time to hit it with increased fees and charges and hidden taxes in the form of 42 per cent for water. WAtoday also did some analysis that states — “Limited growth in the labour market and slow wages growth has caused more than 60 per cent of West Australians to expect no improvement to their job prospects in the coming quarter,”

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People think there is no future on the jobs front. People who are underemployed will be sitting in a job that they do not want. They cannot look for new jobs because they will hang on to what they have and some people cannot get into jobs. “We are not expecting consumers to increase spending given more than one in three consumers reported exceeding their monthly incomes, and one in five consumers were unable to pay off their credit card debt in full at the end of the month.” Compounding this negative sentiment, the Australian government’s Australian Financial Security Authority media release of 15 May 2108 was also grim. For the March quarter of 2018, it stated — Total personal insolvencies rose to reach a record quarterly high in Western Australia Over the last few days we have heard these backbenchers telling us that everything is good, that we were hopeless and government and that they are the best. [Member’s time extended.] Mr M.J. Folkard interjected. Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: They should stop talking and listening to each other. They should get out and talk to their constituents, who are doing it tough. The second Saturday in March 2021 will see a large number of members who were sitting on six per cent or less—particularly those on three per cent or less—gone. They will be out of here. Enjoy your term! The SPEAKER: Through the Chair, member. Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: The WA economy is doing it tough. A member interjected. The SPEAKER: Member for South Perth, your own member is on his feet. Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: That has been highlighted in an article in The West Australian on 30 April titled “WA’s economy in ‘doghouse’”, which states — WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt is under more pressure to deliver a Budget that will boost the moribund State economy with a report showing WA is in the nation’s financial doghouse. The quarterly State of the States report by CommSec shows WA still at the bottom of the league ladder. Across eight key measures … … One of the worst-performing areas is the jobs market after the recent surprising rise in the unemployment rate left WA with a jobless level 30 per cent worse than its long-term average. Members on this side of the chamber take in a deep breath when we read those sorts of statistics. It is serious. The government does not seem at all worried about how serious this is. Dr M.D. Nahan: According to the budget, it is going away. Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: Correct. In fact, a news article by Jacob Kagi for ABC online news, dated 29 April and headed “McGowan Government’s about-face on jobless figures, as WA unemployment rises on its watch”, states — When statistics released in late 2016 showed more than 90,000 West Australians were unemployed, Mark McGowan and his WA Labor colleagues were outraged. It went on to say — But when data released earlier this month revealed a record number of West Australians 1ooking for work, and the highest unemployment rate in more than 15 years, the reaction from Labor—now in government—took a decidedly different tone. The article quotes tourism minister Paul Papalia — “What this shows is there is a sense of optimism returning, people see that we are out there creating jobs,”… It is farcical! WA has the highest number of insolvencies in the country, the highest unemployment rate in the country and fees and charges that have increased by almost 20 per cent in just over a year, and that is the response we get from a cabinet minister—nothing to see here; everything is fine! The article goes on to say — But the raw numbers pointed to plenty of people doing it tough, with 108,000 West Australians unemployed and the 6.9 per cent seasonally adjusted unemployment rate making the worst result since 2002.

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That is what this Labor government under Premier McGowan has done in just two budgets. It took control and said that it would fix the unemployment rate. Its election platform was that it would fix it. It has got worse. It not only has it got worse, but also is the worst ever. Some members will recall that last year the Premier brought in a jobs bill. It was another media stunt. We critiqued the Western Australian Jobs Bill. We stayed here late on that Thursday night to go through it line by line. What did we find? We found that while the Premier was selling it to the people of Western Australia as a jobs bill that would provide more Western Australian jobs, clause 3 of the bill defined local industry as including any industry in Western Australia, any other state or territory in Australia, and New Zealand. That was his jobs bill. The jobs bill had to comply with section 92 of the commonwealth Constitution, which provides that a state cannot restrict an industry provider from any other state from bidding and receiving work with a state government. Furthermore, we know that the Australia and New Zealand Government Procurement Agreement still applied. Mr A. Krsticevic: And it is subject to value for money as well. Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: Correct. Notwithstanding the jobs bill media stunt, as I have just outlined, since Premier McGowan and Labor came to power, unemployment has grown to its highest level in 15 or 16 years. The government has no real plan to actually get those 108 000 Western Australians into a job. A news group called WAMN News also reported that Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed that more Western Australians were looking for work in March than at any time since records began in 1978. Premier McGowan and Treasurer Wyatt continue to milk the blame game with the former Liberal–National government. That has to stop. These statistics are serious. These statistics are a signal of how Western Australian lives are being impacted. The government needs to grip this up. It cannot keep playing the blame game. It cannot simply keep putting out media releases that tell people that it will do something but then it does not allocate money to it in a budget. The government cannot keep saying to people, when unemployment figures are the worst in the country and the worst since 1978, that people are optimistic and know that everything is going to be okay. People are not feeling or thinking that. Frankly, it is the very early signs of an incredibly out-of-touch and arrogant government if it starts using commentary like that in the media, particularly from a cabinet minister. We know that the conditions for this budget are better than the conditions the former government faced in its last budget in government. We know that general government revenue for this budget has increased by $2.2 billion, comprising commonwealth infrastructure grants up $1.1 billion; mining revenue up $1.2 billion; higher tax revenue, up $112 million; and GST grants for 2018–19 up $107 million. The budget papers state that gross state product is tipped to be three per cent or higher over the next four years. I do not know how much influence the government had on those budget papers—I assume it was a fair bit—but it is selling a picture that everything is rosy. The people in the suburbs of metropolitan Perth and regional Western Australia are not feeling that. Government members can keep talking to each other. Ministers can keep relying upon their backbench to pat them on the back and tell them that everything is fine, they are doing well, they are fantastic and they are wonderful. The government can keep feeding some of its backbenchers ridiculous speeches and speech notes that they get up in this place and read verbatim, but there are 108 000 people looking for work—people who have had huge increases in fees and charges of utilities, people who are struggling to pay for groceries, people who have household financial stress because they have adult kids who cannot find a job and people whose household budgets are strained because of the high youth unemployment rate. Those people exist in the electorates of government members. They are out there now. When government members come into this place and start using speeches to slam the former Liberal–National government, guess what happens? Their constituents do not care about that. They voted them in at the last election because Labor made commitments that they would have a job under a Labor government, that their fees and charges would be kept down, and that there would be no new taxes and no increases to taxes. The government has done none of that. When their constituents say that things are tough and government members look them in the eye and say, “That’s because of the former Liberal–National government”, their constituents are going to start to say, “Do you know what? We bought that in 2017 but we’re not sure about it in 2018, and we’re certainly not going to be sure about it in 2019.” Come a further two years after that, if this is the way the government thinks managing the Western Australian economy and delivering essential services to the people of WA is to be done, and if it thinks that media releases that simply ignore the concerns of the community are adequate, it will find that a large number of members from its benches in this place will be out of a job on the second Saturday of March 2021. I implore the government to stop playing the ridiculous political game it is playing and to actually make an effort to set up a plan for the future of Western Australia so that the people of Western Australia can improve their standard of living and this state can be the greatest state in Australia. MR Z.R.F. KIRKUP (Dawesville) [11.10 am]: I, too, rise to join the opposition to speak to the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018. I think I am the last speaker for the opposition’s contribution today. At the outset, before we get into this, I would like to join the member for Balcatta in recognising the royal wedding that will happen this Saturday. I am sure that, as the proud republican he is—like millions of other Australians—he will be glued to the television to watch Harry and Meghan get married. Today also marks 357 days since I gave my maiden speech. It has been a great honour to be in this place for just over a year now and to be part of this impressive opposition team.

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Mr A. Krsticevic: You have done a great job. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: Thank you, member for Carine. I would like to cover a few areas in my speech today. First and foremost, I have a couple of quick observations about what is missing in the second budget delivered by this government. I will talk about the impact, or lack thereof, on Mandurah and the Peel region and then finally finish up on how this side will expect to use the budget in fighting the upcoming Darling Range by-election. At the outset, it is worth noting the Treasurer’s contribution in delivering his second budget. Having been part of a budget process before, I know it is a long and drawn-out procedure. Members before me have spoken about how this budget was categorised as a workmanlike budget. I would agree with others in their categorisation of it being a sneaky budget, which is probably a lot more accurate. It is also interesting to note, when we talk about the budget’s sneakiness, that members of the opposition have outlined a number of fee increases that have occurred contrary to the promises that members opposite made in the lead-up to the election nearly a year and a half ago. During last year’s budget speech, I made the point that Labor’s first budget appeared to be building a war chest for key Labor marginal seats that it thought were worth saving. I said last year that this unpopular Premier had already decided which members opposite were worth saving and which were worth casting aside. I am happy to report, members, that the same thing appears to have happened again in this state budget. The message is still the same. If we take a closer look at the budget, as I and members on this side have done, we get an early insight into what seats this Premier seems to believe should be saved and which he feels comfortable casting out to sea when the tide of the Liberals ascendency eventually and inevitably washes over them in 2021, in some 1 031 days. Moreover, we see a war chest being built in those out years that I think will shower some members opposite with political gifts, while it already seems to be forecasting that it will leave others out in the cold. The seat of Albany was a clear winner in last year’s budget, with hundreds of millions of dollars going into the Speaker’s seat. We saw other clear winners in Collie–Preston, the Pilbara—the billion dollar man, the member for Pilbara—and other metropolitan seats. This year, we are seeing some other new winners, perhaps some who have maybe worked harder than other members of the Labor caucus, or perhaps they have been hardened because those members opposite know that their seats will form the new front line when so many members opposite will be decimated in 1 031 days. On closer inspection of the budget papers, we see that Labor sees a great need, for some bizarre reason, to bolster the district of Bunbury. A seat with a 10.8 per cent margin is getting a disproportionate amount of attention in this budget and in the preceding actions of the government. It is interesting because a 10 per cent margin, which this government feels the need to reinforce, shows just how far back it expects the pendulum to swing. Members on this side of the house have spoken about the public polling that has been released and it is interesting to see some inconsistencies in what has been outlined. The very fact is that this government sees the need to ensure that Bunbury, a 10.8 per cent seat, is looked after. It is not just when we look at the budget; as I have said, it is in the actions that have preceded the delivery of this budget. Bunbury held a regional cabinet meeting. Other key regional areas were ignored, such as Murray–Wellington on a margin of 1.8 per cent, the district of Pilbara on 2.3 per cent or, indeed, your own seat, Mr Speaker, on 5.1 per cent. I think Bunbury was also the site of the Labor Party’s parliamentary retreat. Quite clearly, it is not just Bunbury’s hospitality that the Premier seems to be enjoying, because these visits have doubled-down on what the member for Bunbury has achieved in this state budget. The amount of $106.3 million has been given to Bunbury for the outer ring-road. Importantly, although this has been delivered by a federal Liberal government, the process should be explained quite clearly. This amount has been given to the seat of Bunbury at a request by the state government. The state government put together a list of key infrastructure projects that it wanted to see funded and on that list was the Bunbury Outer Ring Road. Those members opposite who have key infrastructure projects in their own electorates, who have some pinch points and areas of congestion and road and rail infrastructure that they would like to have seen happen, and who have not seen money forthcoming have missed out entirely because this state government has not considered them and their communities as a priority. In addition to the $100 million plus that Bunbury has received for the outer ring-road, there is $5 million for Bunbury Senior High School, $3 million for South Bunbury Primary School, $1.5 million for another primary school, $3 million for Newton Moore Senior High School, $13.4 million for a subacute mental health facility in Bunbury and $300 000 for the surf lifesaving club. Millions and millions of dollars—an excessive amount of money—is going specifically into a 10.8 per cent seat. Clearly, Labor is very concerned about that regional seat it holds, because if it was concerned about other areas, such as Murray–Wellington, which sits on a margin of 1.4 per cent, a similar quantum of money would be going to those areas. I suspect the seats of Pilbara, Albany and Murray–Wellington have similar regional concerns that should be funded by this government, but they have gone missing. I suspect that is because places like the Pilbara and Murray–Wellington have already been cut loose by this government. We see this favouritism on display in not only regional seats, but also the metropolitan area. A number of seats completely missed out in the state budget. Our minds very quickly turn to the seat of Kingsley, won by the Labor Party by only 307 votes, which received basically nothing from this government. The member got a tour of

3030 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] the hospital as part of the Premier’s media event, but nothing else. Perhaps that media event was to make up for the millions that the member for Kingsley failed to get for her own electorate. I will come back to Kingsley with something else highly unusual that I discovered in the lead-up to this budget. The member for Kalamunda won his seat by 1 168 votes and he got nothing from this government. He may argue, as he did on page 3 of yesterday’s Kalamunda Reporter, that the Roe Highway–Kalamunda Road interchange was a success of his. Both the member for Kalamunda and I know that that interchange benefits the district of Forrestfield far more—which is on a higher margin than his—than it does his own seat. The margin of Forrestfield is 9.4 per cent, yet with the member for Kalamunda’s margin of 1 168 votes, he gets basically nothing. I looked at a map to make absolutely sure that the Roe Highway–Kalamunda Road interchange is not in his electorate. It is far from his electorate, but in the Kalamunda Reporter yesterday he said that it is his great achievement. He has to lay claim to something that is not even in his own district because this government has already cut him loose. This government already knows that it will lose him in 1 031 days, when the tide turns. It does not see any point in putting money into his electorate. If it did, the member would be in the Kalamunda Reporter saying that he received great local projects, but, unfortunately, no local projects have been delivered for the member for Kalamunda and nothing has been delivered for his community because this government has already shunned him and turned its back on the people in the eastern hills. There seems to be a bit of a theme in which other members opposite seem to be laying claim to other districts’ achievements and not their own. The member for Burns Beach won his seat by only 1 193 votes and again got nothing for his electorate. Instead, he was featured in Tuesday’s Joondalup Times as trying to claim conferred credit for a school that is entirely in the electorate of Joondalup. The member for Burns Beach is not in a traditional marginal seat. I suspect we in this place would all argue that the member for Burns Beach is indeed in a traditional Liberal-held seat. As a result, those members opposite—the government opposite, the cabinet opposite and the Premier opposite— already know that the member for Burns Beach will not hold his seat. Thus, the government will not ensure that he will get any of the millions of dollars being splashed around in this budget. Instead, he will have to lay claim to a conferred credit from the member for Joondalup. That member is quite clearly doing hard work in her electorate and the member for Burns Beach has been cast aside by this government already because the government knows something, which he probably knows in his heart of hearts. He has been cut loose by this government. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: I could talk about a number of seats but somehow the seat of Wanneroo at a margin of 7.3 per cent also got very little in this budget. For some reason, the member for Wanneroo has not been featured in any of the local media for in excess of a month. She is a lazy local member who is not getting the fortunes of government because she has been cast aside already. It seems that she, too, has given up on her seat because this government has already done that. I could not let this opportunity pass without mentioning the district of Kingsley. For the time I have known the member for Kingsley, I have found her to be an exceptional and outstanding parliamentarian, and a very strong contributor in this place. It seems that the member for Kingsley’s efforts may be in vain. I found something interesting when I asked some questions on notice after having read a press release from the Minister for Transport dated 3 April 2018. It was titled “Grants to crank up local bike facilities”. It was interesting because, once again, we saw the usual pork-barrelling exercise by the government, which again showered gifts on electoral districts such as Bicton, Joondalup, Albany, Pilbara and Darling Range, when it thought it would hold that seat. When I saw this rampant politicisation, I asked question on notice 3012, which sought to understand what may have been missed out in the decision-making process that saw some electorates get significant grant funding. It was very interesting to me when I found that submissions were put in to the government from a number of marginal seats opposite, which, obviously, saw some funding go their way. Curiously, only one marginal seat for which a submission was put in by those opposite did not get funding, and that was the member for Kingsley’s electoral district. It seems to me that we are seeing a trend here in which this budget, unfortunately, not only puts aside the member for Kingsley’s community, but also filters it right through to a base level at which, unfortunately, the member for Kingsley cannot get even a couple of hundred thousand dollars for bicycle network grants, because this government knows that Kingsley will be lost in 1 030 days. Mr S.K. L’Estrange: It is 0.7 per cent. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: That is right, member for Churchlands; she has a margin of 0.7 per cent. If the member for Kingsley, who tries very hard and is an extremely strong contributor in this place, performs this well in Parliament, I suspect her efforts might be in vain because, unfortunately, if she cannot get a small government grant, her prospect of getting anything in the budget is quite limited. If we compare what happened in, for example, the electorates of Kingsley, Geraldton or, I think, Eyre, it seems that other members are being deliberately overlooked by this government. They might be better off joining the opposition benches because only then will they get more money. The member for Kingsley may as well come over to this side right now because only then will she get funding from this government. Her membership of the Australian Labor Party means she will get nothing from this government at the moment. It seems it has let her go already.

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Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Ms S.E. Winton interjected. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: If the member for Wanneroo wants to use references like that, she should make sure they are more contemporary so I can try to understand them. Ms S.E. Winton interjected. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: No, I have not—not really. The SPEAKER: Member for Dawesville, you will talk through the Chair. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It seems that not only key marginal seats of those opposite have been dudded by this government. Unfortunately, dudded is exactly how the people of Mandurah and the Peel region feel as a result of this government’s second budget. Once again, our region has been overlooked by this government. It has been dudded once again because the people of Mandurah are being treated with disdain and have been abandoned by the Western Australian Labor Party, which refuses to govern for all Western Australians and instead puts money only into areas it thinks will be politically beneficial. It has been dudded once again because the Mandurah community’s priorities are being actively ignored by those opposite. It has been dudded because I believe they are treating our region, unfortunately, with nothing but total and utter contempt. We are being treated so poorly at this time that I feel the need to send some tourism brochures to cabinet members opposite so that they know that Mandurah and the Peel region exist. There are only two reasons we continue to be ignored: they do not know Mandurah and the Peel region exist or they have nothing but utter contempt for our community. When I talk about the needs of the communities that have been dudded, my mind very quickly turns to Peel Health Campus. Hundreds of people in my community—340 or 350 people—turned out on a Tuesday evening in the cold in a car park opposite the hotel in a community campaign to draw attention to the fact that Peel Health Campus desperately needs an expanded emergency department and a long-term plan for the delivery of health services. What do we get from this government in this budget? The only new money that my electorate, the electoral district of Mandurah, got from this government was $4.4 million for a car park. The amount of $4.4 million for a car park is useless if people cannot get treated in the emergency department. It is useless if people are in a packed emergency department. There is no point trying to find a car park. The member for Churchlands came down to the district and made a fantastic, rousing speech to show the trend that our hospital is undoubtedly and unfortunately the worst performing hospital in the state of Western Australia. That is not through the efforts of the clinicians and non-clinical staff there, who are doing a great job. It is entirely because this hospital has been constrained by the lack of resources given to it by the Western Australian Labor Party in government. It is not just there in which our community is being dudded. For local schools in a growing area like Mandurah, not a cent is allocated to expand schools. In fact, funding for school budgets last year went backwards. Given the Premier’s absolute failure to answer the opposition’s questions yesterday, I suspect more funding for school programs will be cut in this budget. There is nothing for local roads; nothing for our bridge, which desperately needs an expansion from three to six lanes; and nothing for our local police again in an area that has concerns about crime generally and drug-related crime. Within the next three years, the police station in Mandurah is due to be expanded, as it needs to be, to cater for another hundred police officers who should be going to that community given the estimates forecast by WA Police Force. Once again, not a single dollar is going to the community of Mandurah, and that is because the government does not see Mandurah as a politically beneficial area for it. Evidently, it does not see the districts of Kalamunda, Kingsley or Burns Beach as politically beneficial areas, so, as a result, no money will go into those areas. It is shameful once again. Members opposite continue to take our regional city for granted, but I promise this: the people of Mandurah will not forget this government in 1 031 days’ time. [Members time extended.] Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: I sent out a budget summary after the Treasurer’s speech. It did not take me long to summarise because, as I said, there was basically nothing in it for my district. It did not take a lot of time to put together. In that budget summary, hundreds of people have gone to my website and given me their unfiltered feedback on what they thought they got and what their mood is as a result of this second budget from the Australian Labor Party, which has been handed down here. This is a quick summary of the mood. I got feedback from people right across the region, not just from my district. I will read some quotes that I think will be interesting and sum up the mood of my community and, I suspect, the mood of the broader community. According to my notes, the following comments have been made — Dianne of Dudley Park states — I dare you, Mr McGowan, to take someone you love to the emergency dept of Peel Health Campus. Feel the stress of trying to find somewhere to park your car first of all, then negotiate your way to get help in

3032 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018]

a timely manner. It’s quite easy to read you. You treat us as a waste of time. I can assure you I will do my best to return the favour to you. That is, at the next state election. Pamela from Erskine wrote — We will be voting Liberal in the next Election. This is a Snub for Mandurah—in particular, Peel Health Campus Emergency Ward should definitely have been Priority One. Greg from Dudley Park wrote — You may think Mandurah is a safe seat for labour but as you pump the low income earners and self funded retirees with higher charges and lies about who will be affected your days are limited unless you listen to the people. This is the mood in my electorate and in electorates right across the Peel region. I do not think I could have said it better myself. People across my district, indeed right across Western Australia, have been let down by this government. They have been let down by what they see as a party that came in with a plan to get elected but no plan to govern. They see a sneaky Premier who promised the world but has delivered nothing but pain for them. WA Labor promised no new taxes and no tax increases, but we have seen thousands of dollars in tax increases. We have seen broken promises strewn across Western Australia as the Labor Party continues to turn its back on Western Australia. The Premier promised jobs for all in glossy brochures laden with pictures of him in high-vis vests and hard hats, but what we have is a 15-year high in unemployment. Western Australians have seen an arrogant Premier who, in a Trump-like manner, takes credit for every single measure of positive business confidence but somehow fails to take responsibility for the record high insolvencies and bankruptcies that are plaguing Western Australians. They have seen an arrogant Premier. My message to the government and to the Western Australian Labor Party is that the tide has turned. It is no longer in ascendency. The pain it has inflicted is real. It is having a real impact on Western Australian families. Western Australians will cast judgement on the Labor Party soon enough because, in a matter of months, we will have the Darling Range by-election. It will be a by-election focused on this government’s cuts. It will be a by-election focused on its tax increases. It will be a by-election based entirely on this Premier’s arrogance towards and ignorance of regional Western Australia, of which Darling Range is a part. It will be a by-election fought on every door, street and neighbourhood, town and suburb within the district of Darling Range, which will see members opposite lose that seat. My colleagues on this side will be bringing the fight. We will be after Darling Range. While members opposite levy each one of their members to try to raise $30 000 to fight for Darling Range, they will struggle to find a candidate to fill the position for WA Labor in Darling Range. I believe that even Bill Leadbetter, who seems to throw his hat into the ring every time there is a vacant seat, said no to standing in Darling Range. The reason the Labor Party office said the party should not stand and fight in Darling Range is that it knows that this Western Australian Labor Party—this government—will fail. It will fail because members opposite have brought the people of Darling Range to their knees. They have ignored and misled them, and this side of the house will ensure that they know it. We will be harnessing the power and momentum in this community with groups like Save Moora College and the WA police union to make sure every person in Darling Range knows they can send a message not just for their community, but on behalf of all Western Australians who feel as though they have been cast aside by this government. When they send that message, when they cast the Labor Party aside like it has cast them aside, I suspect we will see a change in the attitudes of members opposite. Government members may not realise it, but the seat of Darling Range, at 5.8 per cent, stands on the threshold of a swing that, if the Liberal Party were to successfully gain every seat under that margin, would usher in a new era of minority government in 1 031 days, with the National and Liberal Parties governing together once again. A swing of 5.8 per cent is all we need to see a minority Liberal–National government take office. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members, just take a little break and have a deep breath. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: A swing of 5.8 per cent is all we need against those opposite, to see a minority government take place in 1 031 days. We will see that result echoed sooner in Darling Range. Members opposite, this time your days are numbered. The Labor Party is no longer in ascendency. This budget continues a trend of ignorance and callousness orchestrated by this government. It will be judged in Darling Range in coming months. That will be an early warning to each member opposite who sits under a margin of 5.8 per cent that their days are also numbered. When that pendulum inevitably swings back against members opposite, they will know that they have let down the people of Western Australia. That is a message that will be sent to Darling Range. That message is being felt in Mandurah and in the Peel. If any members opposite who are in marginal seats had the work ethic to understand what is happening in their own communities, they too would know now that that is the mood of the community of Western Australia and that their days in marginal seats are numbered.

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I will move away very quickly from Darling Range. Members opposite who are on safe margins, such as the member for Cockburn, will inevitably see many of their colleagues washed away and find themselves back on the opposition benches in 1 031 days. Key areas have been ignored by this government. I need only look to the front page of yesterday’s and today’s The West Australian to see that a key area of concern is shark mitigation. The Minister for Fisheries is not a minister who cares about protecting the people of Western Australia. He is a minister who cares more about protecting sharks than he does about people. I engaged with 2 837 people in my electorate on the shark issue. Most of them live in Halls Head—25.9 per cent—and another 22.7 per cent live in Falcon. Ninety-three per cent of them wanted action on shark mitigation. Mr D.J. Kelly: So do I. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: The minister says he wants action on shark mitigation, yet he continues to do nothing to protect the people of Western Australia. In a survey, I asked respondents what they wanted done when it comes to shark mitigation. I will tell members where the minister’s current policy sits. It sits at the very end of what people most preferred the government should do to take action on shark mitigation. Of those respondents, 13.48 per cent preferred subsidised shark shields. Instead, what they want to see is far more work done to ensure that people are protected in Western Australia’s oceans. They want things like SMART buoys and eco barriers. In some cases they want commercial fishermen to have the ability to again take up shark fishing. At the very end of all the things my respondents wanted was subsidised shark shields. I appreciate this government seems to believe that that is the only way the shark issue can be mitigated. The reality is that that is not the case. We see SMART buoys being delivered and executed in the jurisdiction of New South Wales; a policy that has been embraced over there — Mr D.J. Kelly: You mean SMART drum lines. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: SMART drum lines. Mr D.J. Kelly: Not SMART buoys. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: The minister can debate the semantics while he continues to do nothing but let down the people of Western Australia when it comes to SMART—Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time—drum lines. Mr S.K. L’Estrange: The minister will not know how to use them. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: The minister does not know how to use them. Unusually, he continues to ignore a policy that has been embraced by the New South Wales Labor Party and indeed a policy position that has been embraced by the Greens in New South Wales. For some bizarre reason, maybe through his own sheer ignorance or laziness, this Minister for Fisheries continues to take no action to protect the people of Western Australia. It is for that reason that I would like to move a reasoned amendment. Amendment to Motion Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: I move — To delete “now” and insert after “time” — after the Minister for Fisheries accepts the offer from New South Wales to supply five free SMART drum lines and does more to address shark mitigation in response to the concerns of the public MR D.T. REDMAN (Warren–Blackwood) [11.39 am]: I would like to talk about this proposed amendment. It is fantastic that the member for Dawesville has put it on the table because we are in the middle of what is emerging as a crisis for this government in terms of its lack of response to a key issue for a state that is inextricably linked to the coast by the fact that it is bound by water on three sides. The government has its head in the sand in respect of what has been happening over the last number of years. We have seen all of the attacks. It is interesting to look at those attacks. A range of people have died. I do not want to go through that list and bring that issue to the surface, but the impact on those water users is at the serious end of the game—some 15 since the year 2000. There have been 16 shark encounters since December 2016. That is not lightweight; that is not something that just happens by chance. This is emerging as quite a significant issue. As a product of that, we have seen the cancellation of a number of key events in Western Australia. We saw the cancellation of the Margaret River Pro four days before it was due to wrap up. It is one of the World Surf League events bringing an international focus on Western Australia. Internationally renowned surfers came to our state. The level of branding goes worldwide. That event had to be cancelled as a product of decisions that were made in the south west in my own electorate. We also saw that more than 100 swimmers had to be pulled out of the water at the Rottnest Channel Swim. Again, the decision was made after an encounter with a shark—in that case a four-metre shark spotted a little way offshore. There was also the cancellation of the swim leg of the Busselton SunSmart Ironman by organisers, again, because a shark was spotted 600 metres offshore. The swim leg of the half-distance triathlon of the Ironman in Busselton was halted in May when a 2.5-metre shark was spotted, and in late 2016, Surfing WA cancelled three events after sharks were detected.

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This is not an insignificant issue. We are hearing a level of commentary from the government that this is not affecting tourism. In the first instance, we have seen an impact on water users, whether it is surfers, snorkellers, divers or swimmers. We are now seeing a buy-in from the tourism community. If we start cancelling — Mr P. Papalia: Which tourism community? Mr D.T. REDMAN: The south west tourism community for starters. Did the minister not read the letters to the newspaper? Did he not read the response in the media to the fact that they have lost thousands and thousands of dollars — Mr P. Papalia: Who? Mr D.T. REDMAN: The south west tourism industry. That is a product of the cancellation of the Margaret River Pro, yet the minister has had his head in the sand and is saying that this is not going to affect anything. I know people who were on the Rottnest swim who had relatives in London pleading with them not to swim. That is the impact this is having on people. Of course, the government has its head in the sand. The community wants more. We saw the march on Parliament recently. It was made-up of a cross-section of the community we would not normally see marching on Parliament. This government has its head in the sand. We would like to see the advice tabled by the “great white dope” over here. I would like to see his advice. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member, you know that you cannot refer to a member without referring to the name of their electorate or the title they hold, so be cautious. Mr D.T. REDMAN: I will take your advice, Madam Acting Speaker. We would like to see the advice the minister has from his agency about this issue. It would be interesting to see the options he has and the political decisions he is making as a product of that advice. Recently, there was an offer from New South Wales of free SMART drum lines, and the minister has rejected it. I would love to see the advice from his agency about what choices he has on the back of what offers are made from over there and a significant public feeling out there. The sentiment has moved. The government might have had the high ground recently, going back a couple of years, but it is not on the high ground now. There is an expectation from the community that there needs to be a greater response than that the government is delivering. The minister has an option of getting a trial, if you like, or having free SMART drum lines come to Western Australia — Mr D.J. Kelly: Why didn’t you implement SMART drum lines in 2015 when they were started? Mr D.T. REDMAN: You’re a grub. Mr D.J. Kelly: Look, you’re an idiot. Several members interjected. Withdrawal of Remark Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: The minister just called the member an idiot. Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms J.M. Freeman): Members, I will hear this point of order in complete silence or I will start calling you before question time. Take a seat, member for Warren–Blackwood. Mr S.K. L’ESTRANGE: The minister called the member an idiot and I asked him to withdraw. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, if you did, can you please withdraw. I am sorry, I was looking at something else. Mr D.J. KELLY: I withdraw. I should have called him a grub instead. Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Members, it is a point of order and I will hear it. Member, you have just got to withdraw. Mr D.J. KELLY: I withdraw. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP: Further to that point of order, when a member withdraws a comment under standing order 98, under standing order 98(2), he has to apologise for the comment. The ACTING SPEAKER: That is not right—and said with a grimace! Debate Resumed Mr D.T. REDMAN: I am not going to speak for long on this, but this government has a crisis here for a state and a community that is closely linked to the ocean and ocean activities. A range of attacks, deaths and near misses have occurred. There has now been cancellation of significant events in our state and that has a flow-on impact

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3035 not only for the economy, but also the tourism status of Western Australia. The community is demanding more and this minister keeps his head in the sand in respect of his options. I would like to see the advice he is getting and I think he should table it so the community can see the full scope of options he has been presented with, because right now it has no confidence whatsoever that it is getting a decision from this government that gives any satisfaction whatsoever that there is a level of safety out there for those impacted. We have seen the attacks, we have seen the near misses, we have seen the cancellations of events, we know the flow-on to tourism and we know the flow-on to Western Australians. They are upset. We want the minister to table the advice, and most of all we want him to accept the offer from New South Wales to put some SMART drum lines off the coast and give the community confidence that it is getting some leadership in this state. MS L. METTAM (Vasse) [11.46 am]: I would also like to make a contribution to this debate and support the amendment moved by the member for Dawesville, particularly on the back of the offer, an unprecedented offer, made by the government of New South Wales to assist the Western Australian government with what is deemed, as the member for Warren–Blackwood has claimed, a crisis—and it is. It was pretty unprecedented to see people who would not usually rally, who would not usually protest, make the effort last week to travel to the steps of Parliament mid-week to protest with such grave concern about the lack of action undertaken by this government. This issue is having a significant impact in the electorates of Warren–Blackwood and Vasse. It has had a significant impact on the tourism industry and our reputation as a coastal destination. We know that 68 per cent of international visitors come to WA because of our beautiful coastline. I was only speaking to a friend of mine over east recently, a girlfriend in Sydney who is a banker and does not read much news. She was very well aware of what had happened, as were my friends in the United Kingdom who had seen the news of the cancellation of the Margaret River Pro due to shark fears. The feedback was that they just would not come here for a coastal experience. That is absolutely true. Several members interjected. Ms L. METTAM: The government is burying its head in the sand. Trivago has statistics that suggest that a shark incident or attack has a significant impact on conversions—that is, decisions made to travel to a country. In fact, a 2016 survey by Hiresquare.com.au of people interested in visiting a coastal location found that 14 per cent of respondents considered not going to a destination because of shark attacks, and more than 40 per cent of respondents were aware of recent shark attacks in Australia. We are not asking for anything extraordinary. We are asking the government to take the issues facing Western Australian beach users and small businesses as seriously as the New South Wales government does. The New South Wales government supports the cutting-edge technology of SMART drum lines, which the Greens-led Senate inquiry also supports. SMART drum lines have been humanely tagging sharks in NSW and feedback from researchers has recently indicated that the use of drum lines in NSW is not only showing that sharks do not return to the same location, but also providing valuable research for the NSW Department of Primary Industries to use. Up to 251 great white sharks have been tagged since the trials began in NSW. That is valuable research that those on both sides of the argument should support and agree with. The Minister for Fisheries is using inflated figures. He is suggesting that it will cost $75 million to introduce SMART drum lines across Western Australia. The opposition is asking the government to at least trial the technology here and to take up the New South Wales government’s offer to see whether this technology will work on the Western Australian coastline. The New South Wales government has said that the WA government’s figures are nothing short of inflated. When New South Wales trialled 25 to 35 drum lines on its north coast, they came in at a cost of $1 million. That figure falls well short of the $75 million that this government is claiming it will cost. It is an excuse, quite frankly, to do nothing. I referred to the impact that shark attacks have had on tourism, and the member for Warren–Blackwood referred to that also. Five events have been either cancelled or delayed as a result of shark attacks in the last 12 months. It has also had a big impact on small businesses, with five dive shops closing in the past two years. Shark attacks also caused the cancellation of the Margaret River Pro, which has now been moved to Bali. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, enough! You will have your opportunity. The member has the floor. Ms L. METTAM: It is also having an impact on accommodation providers, bars, restaurants and everyone who has a link to small business and tourism. Not only surfing and small business communities, but also those in the tourism industry are concerned about this matter. The take-up at the Busselton ironman event this year was 30 per cent lower when compared with last year, given that in the previous two ironman events were disrupted by the presence of sharks. In terms of the management of this issue, I support the motion to encourage the McGowan government to take the NSW offer seriously and to support a trial of drum lines. I also take this opportunity to encourage a more serious

3036 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] approach to removing whale carcasses. Hugh Edwards, a shark researcher and fisherman, pointed out in a letter to the editor — But there are some things which can unnecessarily influence the situation. In March there was a mass stranding of pilot whales at Hamelin Bay. Some of the remains of the corpses were still on the beaches when the Margaret River surf contest was due to be run. Even more unforgivably before an international surfing event there was the carcass of a dead whale on the beach in the region. The attraction for sharks caused by the oil streak from a deceased whale is well known. It should have been a priority for local authorities and Fisheries to have removed any traces of the dead mammals well before the event. I am concerned about how the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions have managed this problem. I back up this motion again. I encourage the government to support the implementation of this technology and take a more conscientious approach to the management of whale carcasses. I look forward to seeing what happens in fisheries management in the future. MR V.A. CATANIA (North West Central) [11.55 am]: I rise to support this reasoned amendment, because it is about a genuine offer from the New South Wales government, which has gone through a lot of the same problems that the Western Australian government is now facing. It is doing what is right—that is, protecting the people of NSW. Minister, this is not a game. This motion is asking the Minister for Fisheries to do his job, not play factional politics, and to protect Western Australian lives. The minister should be protecting Western Australians but he is playing factional politics and not doing what it was elected to do—that is, to represent people in not only his electorate but also, as the Minister for Fisheries, to do his job to protect Western Australians. The New South Wales minister, Mr Blair, said that since NSW has been using drum lines — … he was “sleeping a hell of a lot better at night” since NSW responded to a spate of shark attacks by implementing a trial of the technology. How can our minister sleep at night, not knowing what will happen, especially when an offer has been made by New South Wales to try to protect Western Australian lives? Sharks are having an effect not only on tourism. The Minister for Tourism is like an ostrich: he has his head in the sand. He is like a grub that buries its head in the sand. It is the same thing. I think we have a bunch of grubs on that side who like to bury their heads in the sand and do not deal with the situation facing them. They are more concerned about money. I would like to see the evidence that shows drum lines will cost $75 million when Mr Kelly claimed that deploying drum lines in WA would cost up to $75 million a year but Mr Blair said NSW was sending a “fraction” of that amount. Why is the government putting money before the lives of Western Australians? I cannot believe it. A government minister is just talking about money, money, money. How about he talks about lives? How about we talk about the money that tourism and businesses in general are losing because of the inaction of this government? The government has its head in the sand like an ostrich or just a grub. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms J.M. Freeman): I get that yesterday there was an incident in which that was an acceptable term in this house. Can I caution you that it is reflected upon yourself when you use such terms. You may want to think about that when you use that word. It makes me feel uncomfortable as Acting Speaker sitting in this chair, but I give you that caution. I get your argument, but you may want to be judicious about your language. Mr V.A. CATANIA: I ask the minister to table his advice on why it will cost $75 million and how it is going to cost $10 000 a day. Even if it did, how can he put a price on a human life? That is the real question here. How do we put a price on not doing something for our regional communities that are facing having to cancel events? Sharks are even having an effect in Perth electorates. The Rottnest Channel Swim and many other swimming events off the metropolitan coast are being affected by this issue. How do you put a price on that? Members opposite should stop burying their heads in the sand. Even a federal minister said, “Come over to Canberra. Talk to me. Let’s find a solution.” Has the minister gone to Canberra? Has the minister met with the federal minister? Yet again the minister puts his head in the sand and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to go on overseas trips to attract tourists to WA who will not swim in our waters because of this problem. I just do not get it. Perhaps he just likes to take first-class flights over there or he likes to recline his feet in business class. This is an opportunity for the minister to do what is right. The community is asking the government to do something. Do not sit there and smirk. Do not say that it costs too much. It costs too much for the minister to fly to Japan or China to sell Western Australian tourism, which will suffer because of the inaction of this government. The West Australian probably got it right about the Minister for Fisheries—the “Great White Dope”. The Minister for Fisheries has been inactive. He is clearly incompetent in his portfolio. He probably should be removed. Give it to someone else who does not want to play factional games in the Labor Party and actually wants to represent Western Australia as a minister. What an honour and privilege! Do not put money before people’s lives. That is what this house and Western Australians are saying. Hundreds of people marched to Parliament House the

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3037 other day and said they wanted lives put before the money. It is not an excuse. This is the minister burying his head in the sand like a grub. The West Australian got it right; the minister is a “Great White Dope”. The minister should give up the portfolio to perhaps the member for Armadale because I think he will probably do a better job. MR D.J. KELLY (Bassendean — Minister for Fisheries) [12.01 pm]: I stand to speak against this amendment. I allowed a couple of opposition speakers before I jumped up. It is notable that the shadow Minister for Fisheries did not get up to speak, but I will proceed anyway. Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms M.M. Quirk): Member for Churchlands. Mr D.J. KELLY: I first comment about process. This is, I think, the second time this week the opposition has sought to move an amendment to the budget, which is unprecedented in this place. It is quite common for oppositions to move amendments to the Premier’s Statement, but effectively the opposition is trying to frustrate the passage of the budget bills. It has not been the practice in this place to try to frustrate supply. Under previous Liberal and National Party leadership it has not been the practice to frustrate the passage of the budget bills. I think it reflects rather poorly — Point of Order Mr D.T. REDMAN: The agenda for the debate now is very clear. There is an amendment on the table and the minister is not even making a — Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms M.M. Quirk): The minister is addressing the issue in the manner that he sees fit. There is no point of order. Debate Resumed Mr D.J. KELLY: I think it reflects rather badly on the current leadership of the Liberal and National Parties that they have used this tactic to deal with an issue like this. To frustrate supply is a big issue. The member for Warren–Blackwood should know that, having sat in leadership positions in this place. It does not reflect well even on some of the newer members who possibly do not know better, but frustrating supply is not done in this place. I ask members to reflect on that. I will say a few things on the issue of the amendment. I am greatly disappointed that the opposition has attempted to make political mileage out of this issue. When I was shadow spokesperson for Fisheries during the last four years of the Barnett government — Mr V.A. Catania: You asked two questions. Mr D.J. KELLY: I thought this was a serious issue. We are talking about fatalities in Western Australia. When I was shadow spokesperson for Fisheries, as the Barnett government clocked up fatality after fatality, I never once came out and said it was the government’s fault because of its inaction—never once. When there were two shark fatalities in six days, did I come out and say it was the government’s fault? I did not, for two reasons: I did not want to be insensitive to the families. The one thing that all the families agree on is that they do not want this issue to be used as a political football. So I did not come out — Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Churchlands! Member for Warren–Blackwood! Mr D.J. KELLY: I did not come out and say it was the government’s fault, because that would have been grossly insensitive to the families Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central! Mr D.J. KELLY: Secondly, I did not come out and blame the government because I know what a vexed issue this is, and I did not want to be seen as an ambulance chaser. Several members interjected. Mr D.J. KELLY: I did not want to be seen to be trying to make political points out of the misery of others. In opposition we supported everything the previous government did, with one exception. We supported more aerial patrols and the Clever Buoy trial. We supported every bit of new technology. Even though there was no scientific evidence that it would make a difference, we gave the previous government the benefit of the doubt. The only thing we disagreed on was the shark cull. That was not a case of criticising the government for inaction; we were criticising something it did. I slept well in my bed in opposition knowing that I was not, on the basis of tragedies in Western Australia, attempting to make cheap political mileage.

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We came to government in March 2017. There was a fatal shark attack in Esperance—Laeticia Brouwer lost her life—and almost immediately the Leader of the Opposition and various opposition members said it was the new government’s fault. Ms L. Mettam: No. Mr D.J. KELLY: You go back and have a look, member for Busselton or whatever your name is—Vasse. You go back and have a look at the record. You were out there giving press conferences in the shadow of her death! Several members interjected. Mr D.J. KELLY: You were attempting to make cheap political mileage out of the — The ACTING SPEAKER: Members! Members for Vasse and Churchlands, you are on thin ice. Mr D.J. KELLY: We had been in government for about only six weeks. We had not announced any changes to the shark mitigation policy — Mr V.A. Catania: And still nothing 14 months later! The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central! Mr D.J. KELLY: — and, miraculously, we were to blame for that first death in Esperance. Ms L. Mettam: Absolutely. Mr D.J. KELLY: What a shameful position for the opposition to take. They were out again when there were the two incidents the other week in Margaret River. After the first shark attack occurred and no-one knew the state of the victim—what his injuries were; he was airlifted from Margaret River to Royal Perth Hospital—the Leader of the Opposition was out there saying it was the government’s fault. Even before we knew whether that person was going to live or die, the Leader of the Opposition was out there saying it was our fault. That afternoon when the second surfer was attacked, within 90 minutes the Leader of the Opposition tweeted that it was a question of leadership for the McGowan government. He knew none of the details of what had happened, but the Leader of the Opposition was out there saying it was our fault. Mr S.K. L’Estrange interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Churchlands, I call you for the first time. Mr D.J. KELLY: We now know that that surfer was swimming at a beach that had been closed all day because of a whale carcass. He and his mates went into the water regardless of the beach being closed. Fisheries officers who were patrolling the area went to that group of surfers, told them the beach was closed and said they had better get out of the water. Virtually all of them did, but one surfer remained. He was then approached again after the Fisheries officers actually saw a shark at that location. They said, “We’ve just seen a shark; you need to get out.” He did not. Within minutes he was attacked. Now, the beach was closed, he was advised by a Fisheries officer to get out because they had just seen a shark, and he ignored that warning. I am very pleased that Mr Longrass— I think was the name he gave—is well and recovered. Was that attack the government’s fault or the fault of a surfer who made some very bad decisions on the day? Mr V.A. Catania interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central! Mr D.J. KELLY: I am disappointed that the opposition is so desperate for an issue that it is willing to turn this issue into something it can score cheap political points on. In this job and in opposition I have spoken to a range of families of victims, and they all want the political bickering to stop and people to work together to improve the situation. The group that organised the rally last week did not contact me prior to that rally. We reached out to the rally organisers and said, “You’re coming up. Why don’t you meet on the day and we can discuss your issues?” The rally organisers told me they were too busy on the day to meet with me. Ms L. Mettam: Half an hour before. Mr D.J. KELLY: Do not misrepresent this, member for Vasse! We contacted the organisers the week before the rally and said, “You’re coming up. Your rally’s at 11 o’clock. I’m available. Meet with me at 10.30. You’ll all be there. Meet with us.” They came back and said they were too busy that day to meet. We asked them when they could meet us, and they said they could meet some time in June. You have to question some of the rally organisers. I know there were people at that rally who were genuine about wanting to deal with this issue, but I was disappointed that the organisers, who had come all the way to Parliament, could not find time to meet with the minister. It does not help when members of the opposition completely misrepresent the situation. I will talk about some of the things the member for Vasse said at the rally. When talking about SMART drum lines, she stood up and said, “We can’t ignore the measures that have protected our loved ones at beaches in New South Wales without fatality since 1951.” She got a cheer from the crowd for that. That is a complete fabrication. In the last five years in New South Wales, there have been five fatalities alone. Several members interjected.

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The ACTING SPEAKER: Members! Mr D.J. KELLY: They are all trying to qualify the statement. I am reading what the member for Vasse said at that rally. She said they had been able to protect the beaches in New South Wales from fatality since 1951. Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup: It was at protected beaches. Mr D.J. KELLY: That is not what she said! Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central, member for Vasse and member for Dawesville, you are all called to order. Mr D.J. KELLY: Amongst other things, she described us as a government whose only shark mitigation strategy is to subsidise a single commercial device. She did not mention that we had extended the shark monitoring network to Esperance at the request of the community—a protection not afforded the Esperance community by the previous government. We have found almost $8 million to continue to fund Surf Life Saving WA. That money was not in the budget the previous government took to the election. We have made funds available for a new shark enclosure at Falcon. Ms L. Mettam: It’s not in yet. Mr D.J. KELLY: It is not in yet because the council cannot agree about where it should go, but we have made that money available. We have extended aerial patrols in the south west. The patrols will be conducted for seven weeks longer than ever before under the previous government. We have done a range of things. When the member for Vasse stood up and spoke to the crowd at that rally, did she say, “The government is doing all these additional things—things that we never did—but we want them to do more”? Did she say that? No. She said that this was a government “whose only shark mitigation strategy was to subsidise a single commercial device”. Ms L. Mettam interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Vasse, you are called for the second time. Mr D.J. KELLY: It does not help victims to get up in public and completely misrepresent the position. I actually spoke to one of the families of victims after that rally. I will not say who it was because I do not have their permission to do so, but they were very disappointed in that rally. They had come to Parliament House hoping to progress this issue. They were very disappointed that the leaders of the rally were not interested in having a genuine dialogue with the government. That was one of the families of victims who attended. The member for Vasse and the member for Riverton should think about that. The member for Vasse has mentioned that we are subsidising one commercial device. We are subsidising that device because it has been university tested to show that it works in repelling sharks. Ms L. Mettam interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Vasse, you are on two. Mr D.J. KELLY: The previous government spent a considerable amount of money getting the University of Western Australia to test a bunch of devices to see whether any of them worked. One of those devices was shown to be very effective at repelling sharks. That was the finding of the research the Liberal–National government conducted. But in government it did not do anything with that. I think that that is negligent. The member for Riverton is shaking his head in agreement. The previous government received advice that that deterrent is effective against great white sharks, but it did nothing with it. A number of shark deterrents are on the market. One of the reasons people do not buy them is that they do not know whether any of them work. The previous government had advice that one of them was extremely effective, but it did nothing with it. We said that in government we would promote that device and any other device that is shown to be effective, and that is what we have done. Since the introduction of that deterrent subsidy, over 1 700 Western Australians have purchased it. They are going into the ocean swimming around getting a level of protection they never had under the member for Vasse’s government. That is a world first. The member for Vasse mentioned the Senate inquiry. The Senate inquiry recommended that that subsidy be rolled out nationally. Members opposite are telling people not to buy those devices. On radio, the member for Vasse said that that device was like waving a toothpick at a great white shark. Ms L. Mettam interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Vasse! Mr D.J. KELLY: I heard her say that because I was on the other end of the line. The University of Western Australia has advised that that advice is very effective at deterring great white sharks, but she said on radio that it was like waving a toothpick. That is an absolute disgrace! We are very hopeful that other devices ultimately will be found to be effective and we will add them to the subsidy scheme. However, we will not introduce subsidies for devices that have not been tested.

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There has supposedly been an offer from the New South Wales minister on those SMART drum lines devices. I read about it in The West Australian. If that minister in New South Wales was genuine about this, and was not just helping out his rather hapless conservative mates in this state, he would have picked up the phone and said, “Look; we can do this.” I have not heard from him. Mr V.A. Catania interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central! Mr D.J. KELLY: I read in what is best described as the tabloid press in Western Australia that a so-called offer has been made. The New South Wales government committed almost $10 million to a trial of SMART drum lines. We would like to see the results of that trial. If they were found to be effective, we will be in a position to make a decision about whether they should be implemented in Western Australia. What we have said is that we do not want to be seen to be doing something to get this issue off our plate, which is where the previous government got into trouble. We want to do things that actually make our beaches safer, which is why we are relying on the science. The member for Warren–Blackwood and the member for wherever can stand up and call me whatever names they like, but we will do what the science tells us is effective. That is what people in the street tell me they want to happen. They do not want us to waste taxpayers’ money just so I can say I am doing something and The West Australian will get off my back. I want to do things that actually make a difference. If the minister for fisheries in New South Wales wants to talk to me about it, I am happy to talk to him. What we heard this morning from members opposite is more of the same. They are so bereft of issues that they see the death of 15 Western Australians as an opportunity to try to score cheap political points. Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. Mr D.J. KELLY: Eleven of those fatalities occurred on your watch, Leader of the Opposition. Do not come in here and try to blame it on us. Show some compassion for the families and treat this issue with the respect it deserves! MR P.A. KATSAMBANIS (Hillarys) [12.21 pm]: I rise to speak in support of the amendment put by my good friend the member for Dawesville. After hearing the contribution of the Minister for Fisheries a moment ago, I have to put on record that I think the headline writers at The West Australian got it slightly wrong with the headline “Great White Dope”. What they should have put instead, based on the minister’s contribution today, is “Great White Flag”. What this minister and the government have done is to wave the flag of surrender when it comes to protecting Western Australians. Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Members! Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: Hello! The usually docile backbench has woken up. It is good to see them here! We have a problem in this state. This problem has already taken lives, threatens more lives, and threatens to destroy our tourist reputation and the businesses that rely on tourism in this state. The problem is not confined to the south west or the metropolitan area; it is across the whole of Western Australia, from the north right down to the south west and across to the south east in Esperance, and everywhere in between. It is a problem that goes beyond the borders of this state. If members talk to anyone interstate, their first reaction when they find out you are from Perth, Western Australia is, “Oh, you have a shark problem over there!” If members talk to anyone from overseas, if they have heard of Western Australia—unfortunately many people have not; we need a tourism minister who can actually promote Western Australia to the world—their instant reaction will be, “Oh, wow, you have a real shark problem over there. How many people have been taken this week?” That is asked jokingly sometimes, but sometimes very sharply. When that reputation has gone across the nation and the world, what do members think it does for tourism? Does it encourage people to come here to enjoy our beaches and our ocean lifestyle, or does it discourage them? I do not need to go too far to find out the impact it is having. I can talk to the people who run ocean-based businesses in my electorate—dive schools; dive shops; charter boat operators, who take people who want to go on diving expeditions or to snorkel or swim in a slightly quieter part of the ocean; surf training schools; and surf shops. They all say that the shark issue has had a massive negative effect on their business. These businesses are struggling. It is not just tourists but also locals who are being deterred from swimming in, engaging with or interacting with our ocean because of the fear of a shark attack. It is a real fear, based on recent evidence. Parents are discouraging their children from taking up surf lessons. People are discouraging their partners from going diving. Of course, the bad press that was generated with the Margaret River Pro has sent a strong and unequivocal message internationally that this is a dangerous place to come to. Mr M.J. Folkard interjected. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: Every other member has the right to contribute to this debate. The minister stood up and said, “You did nothing; we did a lot.” Here we go again. As a minister of the Crown, he should be putting Western Australia and Western Australians first, and not petty politics. If the minister thinks

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3041 that Western Australians are not deterred from ocean-based and beach-based activities because of the shark problem, I invite him up to my electorate during the summer months. I invite him to come and see the crowds at the glorious and wonderful Sorrento Beach, which has a safe swimming barrier installed from the groyne that is basically part of the breakwater for the Hillarys marina across to the first groyne at Sorrento Beach. It is only one facility of a few across the state, but it is extraordinarily popular. The other beaches up and down that stretch of coastline along our beautiful sunset coast are empty, yet at Sorrento, people are comfortable because of the safe swimming enclosure. Mr M.J. Folkard interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Burns Beach! Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Burns Beach! Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: They might not be locals. No-one has been taken in those waters recently, but that safe swimming beach with its plastic protective barrier means that parents and families feel comfortable. However, it is causing enormous stress to the infrastructure in that area—first and foremost, the great Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club. That club does great work, but when the beach is jam-packed full, it is much harder for it; it stretches its resources. There are also impacts on car parking and the road network in the local area. Because so many people park at the adjacent Hillarys marina, the car parking spots that are there for businesses of the marina to have foot traffic coming through the boat harbour and marina complex are instead being taken up by people who want to swim at a safe beach. I know the minister said that he is rolling out some more of these safe beach enclosures and that is a good thing. The minister has also funded some devices that will go to a few thousand people who are regular users of the ocean, but imagine the reaction from an interstate or overseas tourist who wants to come here and maybe wants to do some snorkelling, diving or surfing in our waters. They will pay their airfare, pay for hotel accommodation, bring their gear and be told that for the couple of days they are here, they should buy a $700 device. There is a good question without notice to the Minister for Tourism about whether he thinks that is a good idea. I do not know whether the subsidy the government has introduced will go to people who do not live in Western Australia. I think it would be a misuse of taxpayer funds if it did go to them, so they will have to pay $700 for a device for a couple of days. That adds to the cost of coming here. Mr D.J. Kelly: Or they could rent one like they rent their dive gear. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister! Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: Oh, yes! So tourists should either go and surf somewhere else where they do not have to rent a device or come to Western Australia where, on top of all the other costs, they need to rent this device, and then they need to hope to goodness that the device is well charged, operates well and they will not get taken. It is a terrible message to send. It is a terrible message that this government is sending. It is sending a message of surrender. And whilst it is out there surrendering our national and international reputation as a safe and wonderful place for tourists to come to, the government is sent a lifeline by the New South Wales government; an offer to trial five SMART drum lines to see whether they work in these conditions. I would have thought a reasonable minister would want to take up that offer. I do not even want to get into the debate of how expensive it is to monitor them, because we have figures from $1 million to $75 million. Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Members! Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: There is no point in having a blame game. The fact is, how much does the minister value a human life, a dozen human lives or 15 human lives? Mr D.J. Kelly interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister! Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: This government thinks it is the font of all knowledge. If someone gives government members an opportunity to access technology that they have not considered or they have dismissed, they just automatically dismiss it and say, “Nothing to see here. Steady on; we will keep going our course.” It may well be that the SMART drum lines do not work in Western Australian waters for a number of reasons, and no-one is asking the minister to go out and buy thousands of these at a massive cost to the Western Australian taxpayer. We are asking the minister to accept the generous offer from the New South Wales government to access its SMART drum lines. I do not know whether the New South Wales government will remove them from its beaches, has some in a warehouse or only puts them out at various times of the year so that they are available for other times of the year, but it is a genuine and generous offer. Accept it; work through the problems. The minister needs to pick up the phone and not wait for a minister to ring; he is a minister too who has the capacity to pick up the phone and

3042 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] ring him. But he is way too precious, sitting up there in his ivory tower at Dumas House waiting for the phone call. Be proactive rather than reactive. Stop waving the flag of surrender. Get on with it, look at it and use it as one of the tools at our disposal. No-one on this side is saying, “This is the magic solution or the only solution.” It is part of a solution that will help protect Western Australians and others who use our oceans on a regular or infrequent basis. It will help to rescue and recover our national and international reputation when it comes to the dangers presented of jumping into Western Australian waters. It will help those businesses in my electorate, and in everyone else’s electorate, which are struggling and rely on tourist trade and on-selling ocean-based services such as surf shops and schools, diving shops and charter boat operators. The message is out, nationally and internationally: Western Australian waters are too dangerous to swim in. We know that that is not the right message but that is the message that is out there. Utilising every measure at our disposal, including accepting this offer from the New South Wales government of its SMART drum lines, is in the best interests of all Western Australians. I implore the minister to take up this generous offer. MR R.S. LOVE (Moore) [12.33 pm]: I rise to make a contribution on this excellent reasoned amendment that the Minister for Fisheries accepts the offer from New South Wales to supply five free SMART drum lines. I support this amendment because I believe it would be a positive step to improve both public safety and confidence. My electorate of Moore has a considerable coastline of several hundred kilometres, and once upon a time I used to be president of the Shire of Dandaragan that itself has well over a hundred kilometres of coastline. Unfortunately, I was shire president when a young surfer was taken by a great white shark and the shire and staff were involved in the closure of beaches and some of the associated support. Mr D.J. Kelly: What year was that? Mr R.S. LOVE: That was in 2012. Mr D.J. Kelly: During the last government. Mr R.S. LOVE: I am not interested in talking about which governments did this and that. I am telling the minister why this is an important measure for public safety. Following that attack, when the shark took that young fellow—whose name I know but will not raise here—and as reported the day after in The West Australian, the fisheries department was granted permission to search and destroy the animal that was believed to have — Mr P. Papalia: Do you know how stupid that term is? Mr R.S. LOVE: That is what I am reading directly from the news article. A search-and-destroy mission was approved. Mr P. Papalia interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister for Tourism, the member has indicated he does not want an interjection. Mr R.S. LOVE: It went on to state that a fisheries spokesperson, again I will not read out the name, said — …a boat was grid-searching the area with orders to capture and kill the fish … However, … admitted the likelihood of capturing the shark, which was last sighted swimming out into deeper water, was slim. Mr P. Papalia: This is moronic. Mr R.S. LOVE: I am not disagreeing and I think the fisheries person was saying as such, that there was little hope of capturing the shark. Consequently, no white shark was caught in that operation and, to my knowledge at least, no shark that fitted that description was caught anyway. The report also outlines that in the days leading up to the attack, surfers said they had noticed a large white shark in the vicinity and had nicknamed it “Brutus” due to its large size. The report continues to say it was believed to be about five metres long. It is possible, to my mind, that the ability to have deployed a system like a SMART drum line—I am not saying in that instance at that particular beach something would happen straight away, but when a shark takes up residence in an area that is a popular recreational activity spot — Mr D.J. Kelly: They do not take up residence, member. Mr R.S. LOVE: It had been hanging around the spot for four or five days at least. I believe that sharks have been reported in other areas that do hang around for some time. Mr D.J. Kelly: Listen to the science. They do not take up residence. Mr R.S. LOVE: If I could just continue without interruption. It would seem to me that the deployment of a SMART drum line — Mr D.J. Kelly interjected. Mr R.S. LOVE: Mr Acting Speaker.

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Point of Order Mr V.A. CATANIA: The Minister for Fisheries is not allowing the member for Moore to say what he wants to say without being rudely interjected upon every two seconds. I ask to draw your attention to the minister and to tell the minister to be quiet. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms M.M. Quirk): There is no point of order, but certainly the member has indicated he does not want interjections. Debate Resumed Mr R.S. LOVE: Thank you, Acting Speaker. It is possible that the ability to deploy a SMART drum line system in some circumstances in which a shark is seen as being a threat, and offered recently by the New South Wales government, may be a way to prevent attacks of that nature in the future. As a way of improving public safety and confidence, it is my view that a SMART drum system would certainly be a good thing. I ask that the minister considers to act to address that offer from New South Wales in a positive way and put a little pride to one side and accept the offer of a helping hand. The minister should not worry too much about his personal feelings and about what happened at rallies and when someone spoke to him. It is not about him. Mr D.J. Kelly interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister! Mr R.S. LOVE: This is about public safety and confidence in a very important issue and I implore the minister to look at this offer very seriously. I suggest it would be a very good way to improve the confidence of the Western Australian community in using our beaches and a very positive step in improving public safety. I do not know whether there are any other speakers who want to speak, but I will wind up on that point. MR I.C. BLAYNEY (Geraldton) [12.39 pm]: I rise to make a contribution to the reasoned amendment and I hope it is a reasoned contribution and it will be nice if it is a reasoned debate. I really think it is time to put this technology to the test in Western Australia. The technology appears to be working in New South Wales. It is interesting to note that in the New South Wales Parliament, it is supported by both the Liberal Party and the Labor Party and, of all people, the Greens. Mr D.J. Kelly interjected. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Please, minister, can you just allow me to make my contribution? Mr D.J. Kelly: The way you allowed me to? Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: I did not say a word to you. Mr D.J. Kelly: Your colleagues did. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister! Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Not me. If you want to give them a hard time, that is fine. Mr D.J. Kelly: Sorry. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Leave me to make my points. The figure that was thrown around of it costing $75 million to trial SMART—Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time—drum lines on our coast is almost certainly way out. They do not need to be trialled along the entire coast. It is interesting to compare the SMART drum lines with the drum lines we used here previously. One of the interesting differences, of course, is that the loss of sharks under the SMART drum line system is very, very low. The other useful side effect, if you like, is that a lot of data comes in, because when the sharks are taken away and released, they are tagged, so that data would help us to plan and to deal with them in the longer term. This is a generous offer from New South Wales. New South Wales uses independent contractors to monitor the lines. They do not ask fisheries people to do it. It is also interesting that when using the SMART drum lines in New South Wales, a much higher number of target sharks are caught. One of the problems with the old type of drum lines was that they were indiscriminate and a much lower number of target sharks were being caught. These things seem to be used in such a way that the target sharks are caught. Within half an hour of the shark — Mr P. Papalia interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister! Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Members opposite are great believers in freedom of speech, are they not? Mr P. Papalia interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister for Tourism!

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Point of Order Mr V.A. CATANIA: The two ministers, the Minister for Fisheries and the Minister for Tourism, keep interjecting and the member for Geraldton has clearly stated that he does not want to be interjected on. Can you please rule to tell the other side to be quiet. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms M.M. Quirk): If you had just been listening, member for North West Central, I called them to order about a nanosecond before you got up, so there is no point of order. Debate Resumed Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Thank you, Madam Acting Speaker. Within half an hour of a shark being caught on the SMART drum line, the contractor gets a notification. The drum line is about 500 metres off the cost. The shark is then tagged and taken a further kilometre out and it is tracked. After that, they seem to go away for between 24 and 48 hours. One of the interesting, almost juxtapositions, of New South Wales is that drum lines are needed and used mostly on the north coast. On the south coast of New South Wales, they have hardly been deployed because they do not seem to have a problem there. That is the exact opposite of what occurs in Western Australia. The problem in Western Australia seems to be on the south coast. On the midwest coast where I come from, touch wood, they do not yet seem to be much of a problem. With the conventional drum lines, half the number of sharks are lost, whereas with SMART drum lines, the losses seem to be around one per cent. I want to say that this is a fair and sporting offer. We would pay the operating costs. I think this technology will work and make a difference. The data will be useful. Within about six months, an interim report will be produced on the operations of the trial. I would like to see them in place before next summer. As I said, it is a fair offer. It seems to me to be absolutely crazy that we are rejecting it out of hand. I will just ask the minister: does he want simply a formal letter from the minister in New South Wales to consider this offer? The ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, I think an interjection is now invited. Mr D.J. Kelly: Sorry; I thought I’d been asked not to interject. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: I will repeat the question: does the minister want a formal letter from the New South Wales minister? Mr D.J. Kelly: The minister from New South Wales has not contacted the government. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: I am asking if you want a formal letter. Mr D.J. Kelly: I am answering your question. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Yes or no would do. Mr D.J. Kelly: The only details I have of the minister’s offer is what I have read in The West Australian. Mr V.A. Catania interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central! Mr D.J. Kelly: If the minister is genuine, he can contact my office and I would be more than happy to speak to him. Mr V.A. Catania interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for North West Central, I call you to order. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Thank you. That is all I wanted to know. He will entertain an approach? Mr D.J. Kelly: Absolutely. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY: Thank you, that is the answer we want. MR B.S. WYATT (Victoria Park — Treasurer) [12.44 pm]: I want to deal with a couple of issues. I think the Minister for Fisheries has dealt with the substantive issue, which is more than legitimately raised in the Parliament, but certainly not in this process. I want to deal with two things. First, this whole idea of an offer. All those who spoke on it said, “It’s a genuine offer made by New South Wales; accept the helping hand that has been offered from New South Wales; accept the generous offer from the New South Wales government.” The shadow Minister for Fisheries said it was crazy that we were rejecting an offer out of hand. I do not know how things operated under the former government but the fisheries minister has not been contacted by the New South Wales minister for fisheries. What is his name? Mr D.J. Kelly: Niall Blair. Mr B.S. WYATT: I must say that we have our political exchanges in this place but, generally, when we are elected to government, Labor and Liberal, across the various governments, we have a relationship of some professionalism.

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I find the performance of the New South Wales minister to be tawdry. If he is serious, he would have picked up the phone and called our fisheries minister. When I go to New South Wales, I call Dominic Perrottet, the Treasurer — An opposition member: A good man. Mr B.S. WYATT: — and have a conversation with him and ask how about we catch up, and we do, as governments should operate. He is a good man, whoever interjected there. I am sure he would be disappointed in the performance of his cabinet colleague, who seems to have some view that the Council of Australian Governments operates through some way of front-page media commentary. The Liberal Party has sought to delay WA’s budget — Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup: Sit down. The ACTING SPEAKER: Member for Dawesville! Mr B.S. WYATT: — on an offer that we have heard nothing about from the New South Wales government. Members opposite have sought to delay the rollout of other mitigation measures post–30 June 2018, and they have chosen to seek to delay payment of public servants and to seek to delay the operations of government on the basis of something that we have not heard of. They have asked that the second reading of the budget be delayed until after the Minister for Fisheries accepts the offer that has not been made—we have not heard anything from that government—from New South Wales to supply. Once we get an offer, we are supposed to then wait for the supply of these drum lines. Point of Order Mr V.A. CATANIA: The Treasurer is not talking to the amendment. Mr B.S. Wyatt: I am quoting from the motion. Mr V.A. CATANIA: The Treasurer is saying that it is not our job to question the budget but rather to sit here and pass whatever the government puts forward. The ACTING SPEAKER (Ms M.M. Quirk): Member! It is a point of order, so everyone should be quiet, but do not bother to get up again, member for North West Central. You have been here long enough to know that is not a point of order. Debate Resumed Mr B.S. WYATT: I am starting to understand why the member for North West Central has not been promoted terribly far. I will continue to quote from the proposed amendment to the motion. We wait for the drum lines that have not yet been offered officially, but, not just that, the budget should be delayed until the government “does more to address shark mitigation in response to the concerns of the public”. What I can gather from the member for Vasse’s contribution, that will be when Trivago updates commentary around Western Australia. That is what members opposite have sought to delay the budget for. I am surprised that the Liberal Party, the conservative party in this Parliament, would seek to do this. Not once in opposition did we seek to move motions to delay the budget—not once. I am surprised that the so-called conservatives would do this on the basis — Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected. Mr B.S. WYATT: Listen; it is your motion. I am stunned at you. An old political hack like you should know better. The so-called conservatives would delay the budget based on an offer that has been made apparently through the front page of The West without even contacting the government. I do not know how things operated under the former government. The grown-ups are now in charge and we do not delay budgets on the basis of political commentary from a minister from another state. If members opposite ever make it back into government, I would be stunned if that is how they go about doing things. Division Amendment put and a division taken, the Acting Speaker (Ms M.M. Quirk) casting her vote with the noes, with the following result — Ayes (14)

Mr I.C. Blayney Mr P. Katsambanis Mr J.E. McGrath Mr P.J. Rundle Mr V.A. Catania Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup Dr M.D. Nahan Ms L. Mettam (Teller) Ms M.J. Davies Mr A. Krsticevic Mr D.C. Nalder Dr D.J. Honey Mr R.S. Love Mr D.T. Redman

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Noes (35)

Ms L.L. Baker Mr W.J. Johnston Mrs L.M. O’Malley Mrs J.M.C. Stojkovski Mr J.N. Carey Mr D.J. Kelly Mr P. Papalia Mr C.J. Tallentire Mrs R.M.J. Clarke Mr F.M. Logan Mr S.J. Price Mr D.A. Templeman Mr R.H. Cook Mr M. McGowan Mr D.T. Punch Mr P.C. Tinley Mr M.J. Folkard Ms S.F. McGurk Mr J.R. Quigley Mr R.R. Whitby Ms J.M. Freeman Mr K.J.J. Michel Ms M.M. Quirk Ms S.E. Winton Ms E. Hamilton Mr S.A. Millman Ms C.M. Rowe Mr B.S. Wyatt Mr T.J. Healy Mr Y. Mubarakai Ms A. Sanderson Mr D.R. Michael (Teller) Mr M. Hughes Mr M.P. Murray Ms J.J. Shaw

Pairs

Mr S.K. L'Estrange Ms R. Saffioti Mrs L.M. Harvey Mrs M.H. Roberts Mr W.R. Marmion Dr A.D. Buti Mr K. O'Donnell Ms J. Farrer Amendment thus negatived. Second Reading Resumed Debate interrupted, pursuant to standing orders. [Continued on page 3059.] WACA — REDEVELOPMENT Statement by Member for South Perth MR J.E. McGRATH (South Perth) [12.54 pm]: On Tuesday, I attended a breakfast at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground at which a vision for the future of this historic ground was unveiled to members of the business community. A developed WACA ground will see the ground become a 15 000-capacity boutique stadium to complement Optus Stadium. There will be new dedicated player and high-performance training facilities to play a fundamental role in the future development of players, including an eight-lane indoor centre with full 30-metre run-ups; expansion of the current outdoor wickets; dedicated male and female change room facilities; a gym and cardio room; medical and physiotherapy consulting rooms; an aquatic training and recovery centre, including a three-lane 25-metre pool; resizing of the oval to accommodate West Australian Football League matches; a redeveloped cricket museum; retail and cafe; retention of the WACA scoreboard; and new turf and ground management facilities. Detailed planning is currently underway to determine the full cost of this redevelopment. Cricket Australia has committed $4 million and the WACA hopes to raise $12 million in philanthropic funding through the Australian Sports Foundation. The WACA is also seeking $10 million from the Australian federal government towards the development of the high performance centre. The WACA is also continuing discussions with the state government regarding funding. This is an exciting project for the future of cricket in our state. YARLOOP VOLUNTEER BUSH FIRE BRIGADE Statement by Member for Murray–Wellington MRS R.M.J. CLARKE (Murray–Wellington) [12.56 pm]: I stand to acknowledge the members of the Yarloop Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade who on Anzac Day were recognised for their years of service at a special ceremony that followed the Yarloop dawn service. The service records of the volunteers have been lost for years, but Brigade Captain DaryleWilson and his wife, Karen, have managed to resurrect the records, combing through newspaper clippings and any other information they could find through research. This in itself is a major accomplishment. I was deeply honoured to be able to present the medals to the volunteers, many of whom left their families behind to fight the devastating Yarloop bush fires in 2016 and did everything they could to save their town. Congratulations to the recipients of the medals, some of whom received multiple awards on the day. For five years’ service, the recipients were Les George, Sam Hayes, Peter O’Brien, Tracy Osborn, Richard Woods, Stephen Cook, Robbie Phyllis, Eric Penny, Ron Sackville, Sharni Wilson, Zach Reynolds and Simon Woods. For ten years’ service, they were Matt Anzellino, Tracy Ferguson, Karen Wilson, Daryle Wilson, Tim Vass, Ron Sackville, Sam Hayes, Stephen Cook, Les George, Peter O’Brien and Eric Penny. Matt Anzellino was awarded for fifteen years’ service; Karen Wilson and Daryle Wilson were awarded the national medal first class for 33 years’ service; and Eric Penny and Daryle Wilson were awarded the national medal second class for 40 years’ service. Daryle and Karen Wilson have served a combined total of 73 years in the brigade, an achievement that is truly special and shows their deep commitment to the Yarloop community. I would like to recognise and thank all these volunteers for the contribution they have made to the community.

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WAGIN WOOLORAMA Statement by Member for Roe MR P.J. RUNDLE (Roe) [12.57 pm]: In March this year I joined 25 000 visitors at the annual Wagin Woolorama. The theme for 2018 was “Celebrating Rural Excellence” and was the 115th Wagin Agricultural Show and forty-sixth Woolorama. Wagin Woolorama showcases the diversity of agricultural life in WA and is one of the state’s largest agricultural shows. Exhibitions and activities range from rural enterprises to livestock, art, photography, craft, home industries, fashion and entertainment. This year’s event hosted 450 trade fair exhibitor and 3 733 entries by 1 557 entrants. There were 1 310 animals on show and the show was supported by 182 sponsors and donors, 86 judges, 33 show stewards and hundreds of volunteers. The event coordinators, Tony Baxter, Helen Shalders, Diana Blacklock, Sonya Hardcourt-Smith and Carolyn Webster, headed a committee of 30 members and were extremely pleased with the success of this year’s Woolorama. This event would not be possible without the tremendous efforts of the volunteers, head stewards of all sections and local businesses who generously give their time and resources. At our Nationals WA tent we received a warm reception from locals and visitors who dropped by for a cuppa and a chat about local and statewide issues. This event truly was an astounding achievement about which the coordinators and community should be extremely proud. MERIDIAN PARK Statement by Member for Burns Beach MR M.J. FOLKARD (Burns Beach) [12.59 pm]: As many present know, creating jobs for the good people of Burns Beach is one of my highest priorities. On 8 March, I was joined by the Premier and the member for Wanneroo in visiting Meridian Park in Neerabup. Although the site is in the neighbouring electorate of Wanneroo, it is of vital long-term importance to my community, especially those who are struggling to find work at present. Meridian Park is one of three future sites that will be brought under the soon to be developed industrial lands authority. This will help reduce red tape and encourage local job creation. I thank the Premier and the Minister for Planning; Lands for the fantastic work that they have done on this initiative. I would like to acknowledge the role of Darren Smith from Armada Construction Group in employing local tradespeople in the development of Meridian Park. It is my understanding that he and his workers have to date developed 10 businesses in Meridian Park, which is a fantastic achievement for him and industry in our state. I would also like to acknowledge the Mayor of the City of Wanneroo, Tracey Roberts, and Ian Martinus from the city’s advocacy and economic development team, for their cooperation with myself and the state government on this project, as well as Andrew McCluskey from Siemens. Synergy between educators and industry groups fosters innovation. I would like to thank Michelle Hoad from North Metropolitan TAFE for her interest in being involved in this development. Through this, we can better equip our state’s graduates to meet the challenges of a modern, digitalised workforce. PEEL HEALTH CAMPUS — RALLY Statement by Member for Dawesville MR Z.R.F. KIRKUP (Dawesville) [1.01 pm]: I rise to inform the house about the Peel Health Campus rally that happened at 6.00 pm on 1 May in the Eastlake Church car park. More than 350 people from as far south as Heron, as far east as South Yunderup and as far north as Greenfields, came to the rally to let the government know about their concerns for Peel Health Campus. At the rally, which was ably hosted by Don Pember, a former candidate for the City of Mandurah, 341 people put their names to petitions calling on this government to expand the emergency department and the car park at Peel Health Campus, and asking for a plan to deliver long-term health services and for the government to build a dedicated ED specifically for young people in our community. I recognise the contributions of Mr Pember and the more than 40 volunteers who assisted in ensuring that the word was spread far and wide in the Mandurah community. In particular, I recognise John Robertson, Rob Cooper, Olivia Fortune, Luke Goudie and Brad Bedford and many small businesses across the community. I also recognise Aaron and the Eastlake Church community for allowing us to use the car park to ensure that the people of the Mandurah and Peel region could have their say on a very important issue and put on the record their concerns to ensure that this government cannot continue to ignore our pleas and demands for a better resourced Peel Health Campus. SUSTAINABILITY AND WASTE REDUCTION INITIATIVES — BICTON Statement by Member for Bicton MRS L.M. O’MALLEY (Bicton) [1.02 pm]: On 1 July, the McGowan government will take a historic step forward in the war on waste with the banning of lightweight single-use plastic bags. Two-thirds of the electorate of Bicton is bordered by the mighty Swan River, and I sincerely thank and acknowledge the community groups and individuals who participate in planting, weeding and clean-up programs along our local stretch of river and foreshore. In particular, I wish to acknowledge the sustainability leadership shown by teacher Hannah Fey and her students at Santa Maria College in Attadale. Hannah runs the school’s student sustainability group, Eco Sisters, which was formed to educate and inspire students to be environmentally responsible. The group has 130 students.

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Eco Sisters works to reduce waste, recycle when possible and make a positive change in student attitudes. The students also work with local community groups at the river foreshore, with recent outings resulting in the planting of 550 banksia trees. Student Jade Destremau is a leader in the war on waste at Santa Maria, successfully lobbying the school cafe to stop using plastic packaging, which has been replaced with biodegradable packaging made from recycled sugarcane pulp. I join Jade’s peers, teacher and family in congratulating her on her current and future achievements. Eco Sisters has taken its sustainability efforts to the next level by partnering with GreenBatch to collect and recycle polyethylene terephthalate plastic bottles. The bottles, collected in purple bins at the school, are put through a process whereby they are turned into 3D printer filament, which the school then uses in its 3D printers. The school has collected over 1 000 bottles to date and has plans to expand this service to the local community. The school is truly worthy of the title Sustainable Santa! Sitting suspended from 1.03 to 2.00 pm FORMER MEMBER FOR DARLING RANGE — CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION Statement by Speaker THE SPEAKER (Mr P.B. Watson): Members, I advise that, in my capacity as Chair of the Procedure and Privileges Committee, today I received a letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Julie Bishop, MP, in response to a request for assistance from the PPC to verify claims made by Mr Barry Urban that he had served with a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The minister’s response is in the following terms — Dear Mr Watson Thank you for your letter dated 15 February 2018, in which you sought my assistance in verifying the claim made by a then member of the Legislative Assembly (Mr Barry Urban MLA) to have served in the UN Peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 6-month period July 1998 to December 1998. I tasked our Ambassador to the United Nations, Gillian Bird, to make urgent inquiries of the UN. We were subsequently advised that the UN archives do not hold complete records from that time and that searches would take several months. Unfortunately, I have been advised today that UN staff are unable to find any records of relevance to your inquiry about Mr Urban. I table the letter for the house’s reference. [See paper 1357.] ELECTORAL DISTRICT OF DARLING RANGE Statement by Speaker THE SPEAKER (Mr P.B. Watson): Members, it is my intention to issue a writ on Tuesday, 22 May 2018 directing the Electoral Commissioner to conduct a by-election for the Darling Range electoral district. Polling day will be Saturday, 23 June 2018. The writ will also list that the last day for the nomination of candidates will be Friday, 1 June 2018 and the last day for return of the writ will be Friday, 17 August 2018. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE MITCHELL FREEWAY — EXTENSION 333. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier: I refer to the Mitchell Freeway extension from Hester Avenue to Romeo Road expected to cost around $215 million and the recent multibillion-dollar federal government funding package that included $108 million for that extension and, of course, today’s unemployment data, which confirms that under the Premier’s government, WA continues to have the highest unemployment rate in the country. Why is the government refusing to start this shovel-ready, job-creating road extension? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: Let me start with the second part of the question about the employment figures. What the employment figures show is that since we have been in office, 35 000 new jobs have been created in Western Australia. When the Leader of the Opposition was in office, in the last two years of the Liberal–National government, 22 000 people left the labour force. We now have an increase in the participation rate and more people attempting to join the workforce because they have confidence in the Western Australian economy. As we know, job figures or unemployment figures have come down. They are volatile, but participation is increasing. On top of that, I want to

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3049 draw members’ attention to what I thought was, in this context, very important news today; namely, business confidence in Western Australia has soared to its highest levels in seven years. I have a copy of The West Australian story about that issue. The West Australian points out on page 3 today how business confidence is at a seven-year high. I want to quote someone who is very relevant in this regard, and that is Rick Newnham. Rick Newnham is a good fellow. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: All I can hear is a wall of noise. You have asked a question; listen to the answer. Mr M. McGOWAN: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia has done some very good analysis of this. I will quote Rick Newnham — …This puts business confidence for the short and long-term back at mid-boom levels—the highest in over seven years … This is a stark difference to just under three years ago when business confidence bottomed out … Who was in government then and who was the Treasurer? You were! The CCI knows that this is a government that is doing the hard work to get finances back under control and create jobs in Western Australia. It is true that a few weeks ago the Prime Minister and I joined to announce a significant commonwealth investment in Western Australia, something the former government could not achieve. The Prime Minister and I had a good discussion, a good meeting and good negotiations leading up to that significant investment. Much of the money is in the budget of the Western Australian government handed down last week. But, of course, the commonwealth money stretches out to 2025. We will be seeking further commonwealth money. I know that when the Liberal Party was in office, all it did was blow state money but we want further commonwealth money because we have a national transport agreement still coming and a federal election still coming. We will seek further contribution from the commonwealth. Our basic position is that the federal government should contribute 80–20. That is our basic position on these things. From memory, that is what we secured with the Bunbury ring-road, which Labor is building. That is what we secured there and we will seek an 80–20 arrangement in the future on these sorts of road projects. I know where the Leader of the Opposition got his question today—Christian Porter put out a press release on 16 May; Christian Porter, a former Treasurer and one of the ones who wrecked the state’s finances— there were seven of them in the former government. I note the headline of his press release, and I quote — Wherefore Art Thou in the State Budget is Romeo Road? I can really see how Christian Porter appeals to the good people of Ellenbrook with his turn of phrase! We will be seeking further commonwealth money. It is not over yet. The federal election is a year away. MITCHELL FREEWAY — EXTENSION 334. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier: I have a supplementary question. On top of his government leaving out state and federal funding for the Mitchell Freeway extension and the government slashing broader road asset investment from $1.3 billion this year to $300 million by the end of the forward estimates, will the Premier admit that his failure to fund this extension will have a large negative impact on job creation, road safety and traffic congestion in the northern suburbs? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: No. We are building a railway to Yanchep. Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition! Mr M. McGOWAN: It might be an intellectual jump for the opposition leader, but if someone is on a train, they are not driving their car. Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, I have warned you four times. I call you to order for the first time. Mr M. McGOWAN: If they are on a train, they are not driving their car and that reduces congestion. I would have thought that most people would understand that basic concept. We are building a rail line to Yanchep that the former government did not build. We are putting in place significant improvements on the freeway in the northern suburbs. We are funding the Stephenson Avenue upgrade, which is a significant project that will alleviate all that congestion around Balcatta and Ikea in the northern suburbs. We are doing more for road improvements in the northern suburbs and across regional Western Australia than it has ever seen before. What is more, when it comes to road maintenance, we are spending $500 million more in our first four years in government than the former government did in its last four years in government.

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HEALTH SYSTEM — INVESTMENT 335. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Minister for Health: Before I begin, I welcome Ms Blitvich and the year 10 students from Balcatta Senior High School in the gallery today. I refer to the McGowan Labor government’s record $37 billion investment in Western Australia’s health system, including a much-needed upgrade to Osborne Park Hospital, which was completely neglected by the previous Liberal–National government. Can the minister outline to the house what this record investment — Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. The SPEAKER: Member, start again. Leader of the Opposition, I heard you say twice, “You’ve got nothing in Peel.” No-one laughed, so it was not funny. Start again, member. Mr D.R. MICHAEL: I refer to the McGowan Labor government’s record $37 billion investment in WA’s health system, including a much-needed upgrade to Osborne Park Hospital, which was completely neglected by the previous Liberal–National government. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr D.R. MICHAEL: Can the minister outline to the house what this record investment means for Western Australian patients and the delivery of quality health care? Mr R.H. COOK replied: I would like to thank the member for the question and yes, I would be delighted to continue to advise the house about the McGowan government’s investment in our health system. The 2018–19 budget delivers more again on our election commitments, and this has all been done within the constraints of our financial management and bringing the budget back into surplus in 2020–21. The McGowan government is putting patients first. Today, the member for Balcatta might be interested to hear about some of our election commitments at Osborne Park Hospital and what we will be doing in the northern suburbs for patients in that area. This budget delivers on our election commitments to upgrade hospital services that will continue to transform the services at Osborne Park Hospital with record funding of $24.9 million. The funding boosts our election commitment to improve the hospital’s neonatal unit and expand rehabilitation services. The expansion includes a new level 2A neonatal nursery for local mothers with low to moderate-risk pregnancies. The enhanced obstetric services will enable more mothers to give birth close to where they live. In particular, I am excited about a new 10-bed rehabilitation unit. This will form part of our rehabilitation services in the suburbs, which, as members would know, were substantially moved to the south at Fiona Stanley Hospital when we established the rehabilitation hospital there. This unit will specialise in caring for a range of patients requiring rehabilitation following a stroke, amputation or neurological condition. In a first of its kind for Perth’s northern suburbs, a centralised therapy hub will also be developed. This is about the McGowan government delivering on its election commitments for patients in the northern suburbs, but it does not stop there. We are also making an $11.8 million investment to implement our vision for Royal Perth Hospital. This includes a mental health observation area plus mental health beds as part of the centrepiece for the McGowan government’s broader RPH redevelopment plans. We will soon be opening the state’s first urgent care clinic at Royal Perth Hospital, in addition to early planning around a medihotel and innovation hub to bolster research at that hospital. We are not the only ones who are excited about our investment in the hospital system. Members might be surprised to hear that the federal government shares our enthusiasm for this. I was excited to go up to Joondalup Health Campus with my good friend Senator Mathias Cormann to announce the joint funding as the federal government becomes a partner in the redevelopment of our health system to make sure that we continue to invest in the northern suburbs and put patients first. Last week, I also announced a $1.8 million investment in Fiona Stanley Hospital to develop a birthing centre there. Again, this will boost maternity services for all Western Australians to make sure that mums have a greater choice of where they have their babies. We are about to be confronted with a large baby boom and those announcements, in addition to our commitment to keep Bentley Hospital maternity services open for the next four years, mean that we are creating the investment needed in our health system to meet the needs of WA patients. But we are doing that in a way that makes sure that our finances are sustainable and we work within those confines. We are even investing in Peel Health Campus, and I know the member for Dawesville hates that. SHARKS — HAZARD MITIGATION — DRUM LINES 336. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier: I refer to the inability or unwillingness of the Minister for Fisheries to take additional measures to protect the people of Western Australia from sharks. Will the Premier of this state show some leadership and accept the very generous offer from New South Wales of five free SMART drum lines?

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Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I do not accept the premise of the question from the member for Vasse and I will explain to you why. A few weeks ago, we extended the helicopter patrols throughout the surf beaches of the southern part of the state for an additional month. It is the longest period in history that those patrols have ever operated for. Under the minister, we have put in place additional satellite-receiving operations off the coast of Esperance that were not there before. We have put in place under this minister the deterrent subsidy for scientifically proven deterrents that in particular provide some safety for divers. They are three things that were not there under the former government. There is also the protective fence in Dawesville that this minister funded and has put in place, so that is four things that were not there under the former government, and then there is everything else that is there. I will now refer to New South Wales. The premise of the question is that somehow the New South Wales government has contacted us—it has not. There has been no contact from the New South Wales government to Western Australia. Even if there had been, it is pretty rude, to be honest, for some obscure guy from New South Wales to get onto a journalist here and pretend that somehow that is some sort of offer to Western Australia. I suspect that this obscure person from New South Wales—whose name I cannot remember—has been put up to it by the supreme media stuntman, Josh Frydenberg, and that somehow that will score him a headline and some coverage here in Western Australia. As we know, the only thing that Josh Frydenberg cares about in the whole word is getting his photo in the paper. I want to outline to members why the offer is worse than pathetic. To provide the state with five buoys, five hooks and five satellite receivers or providers is worse than pathetic. As anyone who understands these things would know, the cost of the SMART drum lines is in all the monitoring of the drum lines. Essentially, boats have to be available to monitor — Dr M.D. Nahan: Seriously. Mr M. McGOWAN: Why don’t you listen and learn something? The reason these things cost so much is all in the fact that crews and boats have to be available to service those drum lines. The cost to the state is not in providing a hook and a buoy—anyone can do that. I can go to Boating, Camping and Fishing and buy a hook and a buoy. The cost is in the boat and the crews needed to monitor the drum lines in order to drag the shark back out to sea if one takes the line. The other point is this: we are awaiting the research out of New South Wales before we make any decision about SMART drum lines. But we also want to know, and I think this is a very good — Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition! Mr M. McGOWAN: We also want to know what happens to the sharks after they are tagged as a result of this program. Do they immediately just swim back into shore? That is the sort of assessment — Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected. The SPEAKER: Member for Dawesville, I call you to order for the second time. Mr M. McGOWAN: That is the sort of proper, scientific assessment we would like to see. SHARKS — HAZARD MITIGATION — DRUM LINES 337. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier: I have a supplementary question. Given the Premier’s interest in how this program in New South Wales will go, given the offer that is on the table and given that it is on the public record, has the Premier, the Minister for Fisheries or the government been in contact with New South Wales? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: There has been no contact between the New South Wales government and the Western Australian government. As far as I can see in New South Wales, that government is on its last legs. Several members interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN: I know a little bit about New South Wales and I know a little bit about the north coast of New South Wales. I do know a little bit about it and my view is that that government is on its last legs. Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected. The SPEAKER: Member for Dawesville, I call you to order for the third time. Are you looking to go home early today? Mr M. McGOWAN: Offering the state of Western Australia five hooks and five floating buoys is pathetic. If the government of New South Wales wants to come over here and spend millions of dollars funding a trial of SMART drum lines, we will let it, but I am pretty sure it is not going to do that.

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SCHOOLS — INFRASTRUCTURE 338. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Premier: I refer to the McGowan Labor government’s massive investment in school infrastructure throughout Western Australia, including the suburbs in Southern River. Can the Premier outline to the house how this investment will not just deliver modern, high-quality school facilities for students and teachers, but also create jobs for Western Australian workers? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Southern River. Mr V.A. Catania interjected. The SPEAKER: Member for North West Central, you are on three calls. Mr M. McGOWAN: He is a dedicated and passionate teacher who is doing a terrific job as a member of Parliament. Yesterday, he and I went to Southern Grove Primary School where we were able to inspect the new school that is being built there. It is due to open next year. I was able to do a similar thing with the member for Jandakot in his electorate where there are huge numbers of children being procreated and born! They are heading for the primary schools of that very fertile area down in the Southern River–Jandakot region. There were children everywhere. The good thing is that the children of that area—indeed, and all over Western Australia—have a government that is providing a good number of new schools and school upgrades to meet their needs. Across Western Australia, we are investing $470 million to build and upgrade public schools. Members might be interested to know about one of them: the $18.9 million for Byford South primary school. We are looking forward to making sure the people of Byford know about our important commitment there. Currently, $100 million worth of secondary schools are being built across Western Australia, including: Yanchep Secondary College, $13.7 million; Carnarvon Community College — Mr V.A. Catania interjected. Suspension of Member The SPEAKER: Member, I call you to order for the fourth time. As the member has been called to order more than three times, I now suspend the member from the service of the house until the adjournment of today’s sitting. [The member for North West Central left the chamber.] Questions without Notice Resumed Mr M. McGOWAN: Mr Speaker — Mr M.P. Murray: Dock his pay! The SPEAKER: I call the pay-docker to order for the first time—the Minister for Sport and Recreation. Mr M. McGOWAN: The thing about Carnarvon Community College is that we are building an important improvement and the reason it is $12 million under budget is that the tenders came in $12 million under. While the member for North West Central was wildly angry that we are building a school in his electorate and getting value for money, he was excluded from the house, which I think is entirely appropriate. North Albany Senior High School will get $10 million for important improvements. Cape Naturaliste College will get around $30 million. Margaret River Senior High School will get around $30 million. Important improvements are also being made at Collie Senior High School. We expect that spending nearly $500 million across Western Australia will result in many thousands of jobs in construction in the regions and in the city. Of course, because of the former government’s failure to cater for the needs of the western suburbs, we are building a new inner city college in Subiaco at Kitchener Park. Yesterday, the member for Scarborough, furiously texting as she is, described the new inner city college at Subiaco as, I quote, “a stupid idea.” Yesterday in Parliament, she said it was a stupid idea. I want to let her know — Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected. The SPEAKER: Member for Scarborough! Mr M. McGOWAN: I heard what the member had to say, but I want her to know what some other people might have said about it—she might be interested. Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN: It is not Rick Newnham this time. Several members interjected.

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Mr M. McGOWAN: It is not Rick Newnham and it is not Hon Dr Steve Thomas! It is not Kirsty Cane; I have a new favourite today. I will quote what the member for Nedlands said late last year — “Some people were surprised when they announced Kitchener Park as the site for the new school, but I wasn’t,” … “I discussed it with the Subiaco mayor and CEO about three years ago and I had also raised it with Peter Collier, who was the minister for education. “I suggest Labor probably think Kitchener Park is their idea.” We have a big fan who now says that it was his idea, although the member for Scarborough says it is a stupid idea! The reality is that neither of them did anything. We are building a new school to meet the needs of the people of the inner city where there are overcrowded schools as far as you can see and we are fixing it. LIVE EXPORT — PROPOSED MORATORIUM 339. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier: I refer to the Minister for Agriculture and Food’s media statement from this morning that states the government is taking legal advice on the Western Australian government’s obligations under the Western Australian Animal Welfare Act to prevent cruelty on board ships going to the Middle East during the high summer period. Will the government rule out a live export ban during the northern summer months for our live sheep export industry? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: The answer is no. We are working to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare that are possible in the industry. I have said to the Leader of the National Party on at least three occasions in here: you have your head in the sand if you think what is going on in that industry is acceptable. What is going on in that industry is deplorable and the industry’s leadership is acting in a deplorable way by not accepting that Western Australians and Australians more generally want to see improvements. The National Party seems to think that what has gone on so far is acceptable— it is not. Anyone who has seen those images of what has occurred on those ships would be appalled. Ms M.J. Davies interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Mr M. McGOWAN: You are doing your industry no service whatsoever because — Ms M.J. Davies interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Mr M. McGOWAN: — if I look at members of the Liberal Party, I know there is a whole bunch of people sitting right there who would like to close the industry tomorrow. I can look here — Several members interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN: Does the Liberal Party support the current arrangements in the industry? Is that right? Mr D.C. Nalder: No, that’s not what you said. Mr M. McGOWAN: You cannot get a good word out of them. I could look around Parliaments all over Australia, I could walk down Hay Street mall, or I could walk down the main streets of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Karratha or Broome and I expect I would find that an overwhelming majority of people would want to close the industry. That is the reality. I could walk down the main street of Nedlands and find that a majority of people there want to close it. All I am saying to that industry — Several members interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN: Members might have noticed that I have not said to close the industry. They might have noticed; in fact, a question was asked last week, which confirmed that. I have not said that. Ms M.J. Davies interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Mr M. McGOWAN: I have said that the industry needs to lift its game. To quote a former Premier, it needs to raise its game. It is about time it did. LIVE EXPORT — PROPOSED MORATORIUM 340. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier: I have a supplementary question. Why is the government so determined to destroy an industry that delivers so much and is a vital part of the agricultural sector? Several members interjected. Ms M.J. DAVIES: Will the Premier rule out a summer ban? Several members interjected.

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The SPEAKER: Members on my right, I will hear the supplementary question in silence. Start again, member. Ms M.J. DAVIES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Why is the government so determined to undermine a sector that is so vital to our agricultural industry? Will the Premier rule out a summer ban for live sheep export? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: Mr Speaker — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members, your Premier is on his feet. Mr M. McGOWAN: I have answered the question as best I can; that is, I think we should do everything we can to enhance animal welfare in this industry. Members would note that when ships go to Qatar at the height of high summer, as we saw in some of those photos, the humidity and the heat is virtually unendurable for the sheep involved. As a state, as a people and as a nation, we should be doing our best to exhibit the highest qualities of animal welfare. I am advised that Minister Littleproud, the Queensland minister, wanted to put in place a ban on the industry over the high summer months, and he was rolled by members of his cabinet. They have obviously come up with a compromise proposal. I support the initiatives they have put in place to improve the welfare of sheep. As a state government and as people, I think we should be doing as much as possible, or more, to make sure it happens. I will be meeting representatives shortly and telling them that they have not done their industry any good or any service whatsoever the way they have acted. TOURISM — DESTINATION MARKETING AND EVENT TOURISM 341. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Minister for Tourism: I refer to the McGowan Labor government’s record $425 million investment in destination marketing and event tourism. Can the minister outline to the house how this funding is providing certainty for the tourism industry and how this unprecedented investment is delivering on the McGowan Labor government’s plan to grow tourism and create jobs in the industry? Mr P. PAPALIA replied: I thank the member for her question and acknowledge her well-known interest in tourism in this state. What we have done, primarily, as a consequence of this budget and the previous one, is fund tourism in Western Australia to unprecedented levels. It may have been a boring budget in a lot of portfolios, but the Treasurer is not boring when it comes to tourism. A total of $425 million has been allocated over five years for destination marketing and events in Western Australia. But more importantly, perhaps, than the actual quantum is the certainty and flexibility associated with it. After eight and a half years of neglect of tourism, for the first time Tourism WA has been unfettered and able to shift money where and when it needs it in a tactical fashion to ensure that we can respond to the challenge of recovering from that eight and a half years of neglect. Apart from providing certainty over the forward estimates and flexibility in the use of the money, we have launched a two-year action plan that, despite some fairly strange observations from the opposition, was developed over a six-month period in direct consultation and collaboration with the industry by Tourism WA’s board, working directly hand in glove with the industry to develop that two-year action plan, which is designed to focus on the challenge that we inherited of rebuilding tourism to Western Australia. For the first time in seven years, we have reinstituted or re-established a marketing presence on the east coast. It was shut down by the previous government. It is extraordinary that it would shut down our presence on the east coast. We now have offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne selling the Western Australian message. We also have an environment minister who recognises the importance of tourism. He is enabling his agencies to support tourism through focusing on delivering opportunities that were locked out for a period of years, including a simple thing like segways in Kings Park. The Minister for Police and the Minister for Environment got together and in six months delivered what was denied for four years. For four years segway operators were looking for the opportunity to expand their operations into an obvious location such as Kings Park. We got it done in six months. We have over $9 million worth of campaigns on the east coast, marketing Western Australia as being affordable and a quality destination. They are selling this state as the place to come and visit now. They are selling seats at the stadium under the AFL marketing campaign, selling stopovers as part of the direct flights to London and selling the north of our state in the cold winter months to people from the south. All those messages will result in a lift in the number of tourists coming to Western Australia from interstate. Ms L. Mettam interjected. The SPEAKER: Member for Vasse.

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Mr P. PAPALIA: These travellers will be filling our hotel rooms. We have allocated $11 million for port infrastructure. Again, the people of Broome were waiting for seven years for a simple dredging operation. It cost $7 million to dredge that port, make it a 24/7 port and a marquee destination for Carnival Australia, with $3 million in Fremantle and $1 million in Geraldton, doubling the number of cruise ship visits and the number of cruise days to Western Australia this cruising year. Ms L. Mettam interjected. The SPEAKER: That is enough. Member for Vasse, I call you to order for the first time—third time, sorry! Mr P. PAPALIA: I do not know why the member for Vasse does not like her electorate getting a benefit out of this government’s actions. It is incredible. We saved the Margaret River Pro. She wants to kill it. We are fighting to retain it, but she wants to kill it. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Wall of noise, guys. Let us get back to the answer. Dr M.D. Nahan: The Margaret River Pro is being finished in Bali. The SPEAKER: Yes, and you are finished too. No; you are only on your second one. Mr P. PAPALIA: We came to office after the Barnett government lost the Margaret River Pro. We signed it on for another couple of years but the opposition is still trying to get rid of it. It is trying to kill it again. The member for Vasse is actually attacking the member for Warren–Blackwood’s electorate. I do not know why she does not like him, but it seems that her absolute focus is to try to prevent the Margaret River Pro from staying in Western Australia. The benefit to the tourism sector as a consequence of the change of government is undeniable — Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected. Mr P. PAPALIA: We are — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: The difference between the last person I threw out and the member for Dawesville is that the previous member had been thrown out a few times. You are on three and a half, with a bullet. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: I know that disappoints a lot of members on this side. Mr P. PAPALIA: We are poised on the cusp of a tourism boom in Western Australia. We have the industry on board. It is working with the agency. It is working with the government. It requires members opposite to fall into line and support the state and their electorates and do something positive for a change. CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION REPORT — PRISONER SUPERVISION 342. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier: I refer to the Corruption and Crime Commission’s “Report into inadequate supervision of prisoners whilst in the community”. Page 2 of that report states — The prisoners who accompanied Mr Northing were, in the main, nearing the end of substantial prison sentences. Many had been convicted of the most serious criminal offences, including wilful murder and child sex offences. Is the Premier satisfied that at no time any child was in danger from unsupervised sex offenders on the 10 occasions that prisoners were left unsupervised in the car parks or toilets of Hungry Jack’s? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for the question. I have not been briefed on the exact details of the individuals involved, what car parks they were in and those circumstances. As I understand it, the officer involved has left the service. Obviously, the community corrections officer was involved in a very regrettable and unfortunate incident. We are very pleased that the CCC has examined the matter, and hopefully it will not occur again. CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION REPORT — PRISONER SUPERVISION 343. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier: I have a supplementary question. I thank the Premier for his answer. Given his complete lack of action in this case, will he now override the position that the government put yesterday and join with the opposition in referring this matter to the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee to ensure that convicted child sex offenders can never again roam unsupervised in places frequented by children? Mr M. McGOWAN replied: The Corruption and Crime Commission has examined the issue, as it should have. If the member wants to raise this issue in this place or do whatever he wants to do, he should feel free to do so.

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NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME — COMMONWEALTH HOME SUPPORT PROGRAMME 344. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Health: I refer to the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and consequential changes to disability services and home and community care services. (1) Has the minister received advice on potential service gaps between existing services to clients and those they will expect to receive under the new scheme? (2) Is the minister aware of risks to services when multiple providers seek to tender for services in relatively low populated and sub-economic catchments? Mr R.H. COOK replied: (1)–(2) I thank the member for the question; it is a ripper. It is a good question on one of the issues about which I am particularly anxious. I will take the final part of the question first. I have not received a briefing on that specific issue, although I hold grave fears for any system of program delivery designed by Canberra that relies on a thriving market place, if you like, for want of a better description, for disability service providers. The reason I am anxious is that, just like in primary health, the service provider of final resort is very often the health system. I am aware of that, and it is of particular concern. There is also the issue of people who come in contact with the health system and ultimately will need to transition into the NDIS system. What we are seeing in the eastern states at the moment is some time lags around that. That pushes out my length of stays in terms of state government hospitals. That is another anxiety I have. In relation to home and community care services, as the member is aware, they are being transitioned, and will have transitioned to the federal government completely by July. Unfortunately, I do not have any control over that process. Those decisions were made long before we came to office. I am continuing to press my department to work with the federal government to make sure that that transition is as smooth as possible. There are particular concerns around people with disabilities and psychosocial issues, and how we support them better in terms of that process. I know the Department of Health has been working with the federal agencies to make sure that we are plugging up those gaps, and I think there is going to be some federal funding pending with regards to those psychosocial supports. The member is correct: NDIS is a new way of delivering disability services, and that is a process that will continue to be developed up until the full transition by 2020. I am working very closely with the Minister for Disability Services to make sure that we have got a better line of sight about how that transition will occur, and how that impacts upon the health system and the patients within it, particularly country patients. NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME — COMMONWEALTH HOME SUPPORT PROGRAMME 345. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Health: I have a supplementary question. Given the minister’s concern for the transition arrangements in both cases, will he guarantee maintenance of existing services, as a minimum, in the transition to new arrangements? Mr R.H. COOK replied: Both around HACC and NDIS, we will continue to work hard. As I said, we are not going to allow patients to not have the support they need. Mr D.T. Redman: Will you guarantee existing services during the transition? Mr R.H. COOK: I cannot guarantee that, because obviously if they are in transition, they will be moving across to the new arrangements. What I can guarantee is that we will do our best to make sure that the impact upon all patients, whether they be current clients of the Disability Services Commission or patients inside the health system or the mental health system—that we will do our best to make sure that we look after them in what is going to be a difficult period of transition to 2020. That represents a risk to the health system—for instance, around length of stays and things like that—and that will have an impact on the budget. If the member is concerned about whether we are focused on that, I can guarantee that I am acutely focused on that. CULTURE AND THE ARTS — CONTEMPORARY MUSIC INDUSTRY 346. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Culture and the Arts: I refer to the McGowan Labor government’s commitment to supporting WA’s thriving contemporary music industry that already pumps one billion dollars a year into the state’s economy. Can the minister outline to the house how the government is investing in this job-creating industry and supporting the music artists who drive it?

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Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN replied: I would be very pleased and proud to do that, member for Maylands. I thank her for her contribution and support of contemporary music in Western Australia. It is an industry that we know is thriving throughout the community. Last night we had the Western Australian Music Industry awards. I could not go; I was feeling a little poorly, so I looked around at the gathering, and chose the Maynard G. Krebs of the Parliament, the Treasurer, because he has now been anointed as the beatnik with his salad haircut. I have only the comb-over to offer. He had a much better and more appropriate hairstyle on offer. Anyway, he went to the awards last night, and I thank him for that. I acknowledge the WA Music Industry award of song of the year to Stella Donnelly of the grand prize for her song Boys Will Be Boys, and the 15 winners in the various individual categories. Two weeks ago, the Premier and I went to the Badlands Bar in East Perth. I would not say that we were out of place, but let us just say that we are probably more of the vintage of Pinocchio’s and the Red Parrot. We launched the contemporary music fund, which is a $3 million commitment by the McGowan government to the contemporary music industry. This is a significant commitment for those tremendous Western Australian artists and creatives who are involved in the music industry in Western Australia. We have a very proud history of contribution to the music industry worldwide, but this fund is specifically focused on supporting emerging existing artists in Western Australia to make their journey to the world stage. We have a great history of that, as I have said. This $3 million will focus on building, nurturing and encouraging the contemporary music industry in Western Australia. We will be supporting those artists and artisans in the music industry to continue to do their craft and do it well. It is a significant investment by a government in the culture and arts sector in the specific genre of the music industry. It underpins this government’s commitment to investing in the creative industries in Western Australia, because we know that when we are seeking to broaden the economy of Western Australia, the creative industries remain one of those key elements of growth in our modern economy. Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN: We will not talk about you; you are an oil painting. The fact of the matter is that this is a significant investment, and therefore artists from all around Western Australia, including regional Western Australia, will be able to access this significant fund and continue to create great modern contemporary music for the world. It is something that we should be very proud of. RECREATIONAL FISHING INITIATIVES FUND 347. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Fisheries: I refer to the McGowan government’s commitment to protecting the recreational fishing initiatives fund, which faced cuts under the former Liberal–National government. Can the minister outline to the house how the government is ensuring that money raised from the recreational fishing licence is being invested back into supporting recreational fishing? Mr D.J. KELLY replied: I thank the member for Burns Beach for his question, and his keen interest in these things. It is with great pleasure that in the budget handed down recently we delivered on yet another election commitment. That commitment was to ensure that 25 per cent of recreational fishing fees were quarantined to go into the recreational fishing initiatives fund, which is there to fund initiatives to boost the recreational fishing experience and to grow that sector. I was very pleased to be able to announce last week the location for a reef in Exmouth. I am sorry that the member for North West Central is not here to hear me talk about it, but that will be a great addition to the recreational fishing experience in Exmouth. We have also announced that there will be an additional artificial reef in the northern suburbs of Perth. We will be undergoing a consultation with the community to see what the appropriate location for that reef is. They are just two of the projects that are being funded out of that recreational fishing initiatives fund. It is important that we honour that commitment to have 25 per cent of licence fees go into that fund because, as members opposite know, that was not always the case. Members opposite would know that the previous Liberal government went to the 2013 election committing that 25 per cent of those licence fees would go into that fund. But then in the 2015 budget, the then government broke that promise, like many other promises that it broke. It tried to raid the recreational fishing initiatives fund to plug its holes. The member for Bateman is looking a bit quizzical. I quote from a media report on ABC News on 3 June — The State Government is facing a backlash from WA’s recreational fishers who are angry over the axing of funding to key conservation and education initiatives. Mr D.C. Nalder: Who are you quoting? Mr D.J. KELLY: This is an ABC News report. It continues — In the lead-up to the 2013 election, the Liberal Party guaranteed Recfishwest 25 per cent of more than $7 million raised in licence revenue would be allocated to the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund. But Dr Andrew Rowland from Recfishwest said the Government had cut money flowing to the fund by half, breaking that election promise.

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It goes on to state — “The agreement was clear. It was 25 per cent … It goes on — … the state’s fishers were not happy. The member for Bateman is looking quizzical. I remember going there with the then Leader of the Opposition. We stood side by side with Recfishwest after that budget announcement and highlighted that the then government was going to gut that fund. It did not take long, I have to say, seeing the now Premier, alongside the CEO of Recfishwest, standing together, complaining about what the former government had done. It backed down. It absolutely backed down. Several members interjected. Mr D.J. KELLY: We made a commitment when we stood there — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr D.J. KELLY: When we went to the election, we said we would guarantee that money into the fund, and that is what we have done. As a result, we are going to fund 11 different projects this year that will boost the recreational fishing experience in Western Australia and create jobs in that sector. So, once again, I am very pleased to announce that, yet again, we are standing with recreational fishers in this state and honouring our election promises. Mrs L.M. Harvey: Would someone please help him with his questions! The SPEAKER: I will help you with an answer. I call you to order, member for Scarborough. HORIZON POWER — OVERSEAS MARKETS 348. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Treasurer: I refer to the Treasurer’s answer on 27 March in the Legislative Council, in which he stated there were no plans for Horizon Power to provide services to overseas markets, including Indonesia. Did the Treasurer mislead the house, given that the Minister for Asian Engagement’s travel report on his trip to Indonesia with the CEO of Horizon Power on 24 to 28 March clearly states, and I quote: “The visit provided Horizon Power with an opportunity to progress a number of energy related projects with PT Petrogas in line with the Letter of Intent signed in December 2017”, or is the Treasurer completely unaware of what is occurring in the government’s energy business? Mr B.S. WYATT replied: Mr Speaker — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members, let us get on with the answer. Mr B.S. WYATT: I thank the member for Bateman for the question. It is the first time he has asked me a question in 2018, so I appreciate the question. There is nothing inconsistent at all in respect of that. I am not sure what the inconsistency is. Is the member basing it on a letter of intent? Can the member confirm that is what he is basing the inconsistency on? Mr D.C. Nalder: It is the travel report of the Minister for Asian Engagement, and I quote, “The visit provided Horizon Power with an opportunity to progress a number of energy related projects with PT Petrogas in line with the Letter of Intent signed in December 2017”. Mr B.S. WYATT: Yes, but how is that inconsistent with my answer in the upper house? Mr D.C. Nalder: Because in the upper house you stated there were no plans for Horizon Power to provide services to overseas markets, including Indonesia. Mr B.S. WYATT: And that is still the intent of me as minister and of Horizon Power. There is no inconsistency. There is no change. Mr D.C. Nalder interjected. The SPEAKER: Member, just let him explain. Mr B.S. WYATT: I must admit perhaps — Dr M.D. Nahan: You got caught out! Mr B.S. WYATT: I am not caught out at all. But there is just no inconsistency. There is no inconsistency. I am flummoxed, Mr Speaker, to know what the inconsistency is. But I assure the member that our position is entirely consistent. There is no hidden conspiracy about Horizon Power dominating the globe, or whatever the sort of worry is—I am not entirely sure. Our position is entirely consistent in respect of, for example, Western Power.

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I am kind of curious whether the position of the Liberal Party is still consistent with that of Western Power. Leader of the Opposition, is it still your position to sell Western Power? Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Please! We are nearly there. Mr B.S. WYATT: I am sure the people of Darling Range would be interested in that answer. Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition, you told me to be kind and of a good heart, but I find it very hard to do it with you. I call you to order for the second time. Mr B.S. WYATT: I am assuming that is still the position of the Liberal Party. Several members interjected. Mr B.S. WYATT: They are not being terribly transparent about it. There is nothing inconsistent. No doubt next week they can have these conversations with the CEO of Horizon Power as well, who no doubt will be sitting next to me during estimates. HORIZON POWER — OVERSEAS MARKETS 349. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Treasurer: I have a supplementary question. I clearly stated that the Treasurer had indicated to the upper house that there is no plan for Horizon Power to provide services to overseas markets, yet the head of Horizon Power went to Indonesia to discuss opportunities for supplying power with companies like Petrogas. That is in the travel report from the minister. Mr B.S. WYATT replied: There is clearly some confusion in respect of, I dare say, the Minister for Asian Engagement’s travel report and the intentions and focus of Horizon Power, and that is to provide energy to regional Western Australia. Dr M.D. Nahan interjected. The SPEAKER: That is the end of question time. Leader of the Opposition, you are on three. ESTIMATES COMMITTEES — MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Report — Presentation MR D.A. TEMPLEMAN (Mandurah — Leader of the House) [2.56 pm]: In accordance with standing orders, I present the report of the management committee for the estimates committee 2018 prescribing which parts of the estimates and off-budget public corporations will be considered by estimates committees A and B, and the time allocated for that consideration. [See paper 1358.] Adoption of Report — Motion Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN: I move — That the report be adopted. I wish very briefly to highlight to the house the procedures here. I thank the members of the committee that was formed to endorse the report that is before members—the members for Vasse, Balcatta and Moore. The tabled document outlines the membership of the committees for next week’s budget estimates process. Question put and passed. APPROPRIATION (RECURRENT 2018–19) BILL 2018 APPROPRIATION (CAPITAL 2018–19) BILL 2018 Second Reading — Cognate Debate Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting. MS M.J. DAVIES (Central Wheatbelt — Leader of the Nationals WA) [2.57 pm]: I rise to add to the debate on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018. It is incredibly disappointing, and with a heavy heart, that as the leader of a party that represents the good people — The SPEAKER: Members! Everyone likes to have their budget response heard in silence, and the Leader of the National Party is no different. If you want to have a meeting, go outside. Ms M.J. DAVIES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is with a heavy heart, as the leader of a party that represents the good people of regional Western Australia, that we come to this place to talk about the second budget of the McGowan Labor government. In this budget, we see no commitment to real and meaningful regional development, and no commitment to royalties for regions. Despite what the Premier and the Treasurer continue to say about

3060 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] royalties for regions, there is no commitment to the communities that generate the wealth of this state. It is unfortunate that for the Labor Party, regional Western Australia is a political pawn. The people of regional Western Australia are either showered with funding or ignored completely. The government’s lack of commitment to a regional development plan and to a fund that was designed to assist those communities to grow and thrive will have long-term ramifications for this state. This is the second budget brought down by this government and we are starting to see the thin veneer of the Labor Party’s regional credentials. Although the Treasurer is happy to accept the analysis from the broader community and the media that this budget is workmanlike, beige and boring, for regional Western Australians it is anything but. It is further proof to us that Labor had no financial plan when it came to government. It is further proof that the plan that the Nationals WA took to the last state election had merit. It is further proof that the government has no intention to reduce state debt in any meaningful way because it knows that it cannot. That is a great disappointment for the people of regional Western Australia; they are being used to prop up department expenditure for the Labor Party’s—at this point unfunded—pet projects so that the Treasurer can seemingly take the kudos from those commentators and journalists that the budget is beige and workmanlike. When we peel it back, we can see that for regional Western Australians it is anything but. The government cannot possibly achieve the debt reduction that it aspires to and a return to surplus with the levers it has available to it. It is built on a smoke-and-mirrors approach to budgeting. The more we peel it back, as I said earlier in the week, the more pain and difficulty people, particularly those from regional Western Australia, will have in understanding why this government has made the choices that it has made. Paying off that debt slowly and carefully like a mortgage, which is what our Treasurer continues to say he will do, sounds responsible and reasonable. However, the reality is that the government has to claw back funding from a raft of programs and initiatives that have been rolled out. A lot of them are what we would consider essential services in our regional communities. It has to do nothing more than meet those election commitments and deliver on projects such as Metronet. There are some fairly big holes in the ongoing costings and matching funding that is needed to meet those commonwealth commitments. Regional Western Australians know now that this government was elected on a lie. It was elected on promises of creating jobs, keeping royalties for regions and maintaining services and making sure that ordinary householders were not impacted. It has done everything but. It has done exactly the opposite. We all know what happens when we lie. Eventually, the truth is revealed. It is revealed in increased household budgets; every household is feeling the pain. When we talk to businesses across the state, we find out that people are holding on to their cash because they are nervous. They do not know how much more this government over the next three years will shift the burden of managing the state’s books to their households. It is revealed in the cuts to royalties for regions. We are going to call them cuts because that is exactly what they are. Royalties for regions is in this budget in nothing but name. It always has been more than just a name. Royalties for regions was a fund that was created to drive a regional development agenda to make sure that the people who live in regional Western Australia, with their aspirations, their communities, their businesses, and their children, all have the opportunity to benefit from spending by the state government in areas in which there are not a lot of people. We saw it in question time again. This Premier continually talks about the fact that when we put money in areas in which there are not many people—for example, in the context of Moora Residential College—there is no bang for buck. There is no bang for buck when we spend in areas where there are not many people, so why would we do it? That is the attitude that the Labor Party brings to its budget and regional development. I guarantee that any future government that the Nationals is a part of will include a program called royalties for regions. It will not be the Labor version we see today. It will not be royalties for regions lite. It will not be the Diet Coke version of a program we created, fought for, delivered and worked on with our partners in government when we were in government. This royalties for regions that we see today is there in name only in these budget papers. It is amusing to me that members opposite quite often talk about it being no more than a slogan when we were in government and an electioneering tool for the Nationals. I can promise, absolutely, that nothing could be further from the truth. It shows the ignorance of members opposite when they go down that path. It shows that they are ignorant of the passion of the community when we came to government in 2008. Communities rallied behind the message that was given and the hope that was provided that there was a policy that would ensure that government decision-makers had to consider regional communities. It is wilful ignorance or just plain ignorance that many of the members opposite, who are happy to become an echo chamber of the Premier and ministers on royalties for regions, do not go back and look at the attitudes of regional Western Australians when we came to government in 2008. The reason that there was enormous support for royalties for regions was that regional Western Australians had felt completely neglected and left out. I know from talking to former Premier Carpenter that he pointed to things and said, “We spent money in regional areas.” However, it is the way that a Labor government approaches regional development that leaves regional Western Australians cold. We are lucky if we get some funding. We saw that in comments from the Premier on Tuesday; it was almost like regional Western Australians should feel grateful that the government is still delivering power and water services and essential health and education funding. That is certainly how it was received in some of my communities. There was indignation because of course we

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3061 deserve to have power, water, health and education. We contribute to this state’s economy and pay taxes. Royalties for regions was about more than that. If this Labor government continues down the normal playbook of picking and choosing and creating pet projects and centralising its regional development agenda into Perth, as it has done, we will find that regional Western Australians will respond in the same way as they did back in 2008. They were angry, disillusioned and forgotten. It was not as though there was no funding. The one that gets me is Moora Hospital. Labor continued pointing to the fact that it funded Moora Hospital. Labor capitulated to a campaign run by that community to have that hospital funded. It was not because it was planning on spending the money. It had other plans. The Moora community had to fight and scrap for that investment. For the Premier and others to come in here and say, “Look at this. That is what we did”, forgets the history of that issue, which was that that community had to fight for another essential service, and we find ourselves back there again with Moora Residential College. This community is fighting and scrapping to try to retain an essential piece of infrastructure that is vital for our communities in regional WA. We have talked about this enormous cost shift from consolidated revenue into royalties for regions. Members in the chamber on Tuesday would have seen the graph that we created that visually represented what was happening over the forward estimates with royalties and how much of that consolidated revenue programming is being pushed into royalties for regions. Over $1.5 billion of normal government expenditure has been transferred into this $4 billion program. That is why, when this government says it has a commitment to regional development, nobody believes them. People can see it with their own eyes in the budget papers. It is there in black and white. If that is allowed to continue, it will only further diminish the value that that program can deliver. There will be less and less program funding in that $4 billion initiative to really drive those projects that can grow our communities. The arrogance of this government has been astounding as it seeks to justify those decisions. It points to water, power and hospitals and schools. Yes, that is the Premier’s job; that is what he is supposed to do. I hope it is not the Premier’s expectation that our communities are supposed to be grateful. As I have said before, we do not get gold stars for doing our job and meeting expectations. The arrogance of this government is appalling and we see it more and more. This budget is starting to form a pattern and we will be able to prove, without doubt, that the government is diminishing royalties for regions and walking away from any kind of structured regional development. The purpose of the royalties for regions fund is being subverted and rationalised by a government that has no real commitment to regional development. From my perspective, the best way to talk about this lack of commitment to regional development is to look at the Pilbara and why the approach of Labor to regional development is no good. The government constantly harps back to the set of books that the Liberal–National government inherited in 2008, pointing to the surplus and the level of debt, saying, “Look at what we left you; weren’t we great?” The reason that there was a surplus and no significant debt was that it spent nothing. It spent nothing and regional Western Australia is the perfect example of that. Housing for our essential workers—police, nurses and teachers—was crumbling. It was appalling. We had doctor shortages right across my electorate where we would hold town hall meetings with people who were so concerned and angry that it was not even on the radar for the government. Hospitals and community infrastructure were crumbling. Local government reports stated that they had no capacity to fill in the shortfall for infrastructure funding because they were not receiving appropriate support. The former Labor government had a projected surplus of $1.8 billion and a net debt of $7.9 billion because it was not spending anything; and if it was, it was not spending it in regional Western Australia. The Pilbara delivers such an enormous amount of the state’s and nation’s gross domestic product but anyone who visited or lived there in 2006, running into the early years of 2008, would tell you that those communities in the Pilbara were dormitories and shanty towns that were under enormous pressure. They could see what was coming, yet they could get no traction in investment. Chris Adams, the City of Karratha chief executive officer, said it very plainly at a forum that I attended a couple of weeks ago when he said that they were caught with their pants down. The former Labor government did no work on the land assembly that was required to make sure that house prices did not rocket. No work was done on public infrastructure, water or power for an expanding population and no work was done to enhance the community facilities that allowed small businesses to stay in town and attract the workers they so sorely needed. That was absolutely the problem that we faced in the very short term upon coming to government. With the advent of royalties for regions when we formed government, we created a comprehensive regional development program and set about righting those wrongs. Pilbara Cities was a big part of that and was built on four key pillars—housing and land, community infrastructure, and normal government infrastructure, so power and water, and economic diversification. At the forum, Chris Adams said that we have done incredibly well on the first three and we are working on the fourth. He said that the investment through the Pilbara Cities program, which allowed us to address all those things, meant that the communities in the Pilbara are now prepared for whatever growth comes their way and they can actively pursue economic diversification opportunities because they now have the land, the community infrastructure and a somewhat diversified economy with small businesses that are able to attract and retain employees. That was part of that program. Yes, there was funding through royalties for regions, but we enabled a plan to be put in place through work with the development commission and the regional development department as part of a comprehensive plan. All of that, as far as I can see in terms of planning for

3062 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] the regions, has now been centralised back to the Perth Department of Regional Development. Our development commissions have been undermined and all their employees, I understand, are now employees of the Department of Regional Development. I am not sure what advice the minister is taking from the boards and the people who worked so hard to invest and build their communities, but there is disillusionment in those communities that once knew where to go. They knew they could go to the development commission and they knew their pathway to government. If they had a plan or wanted to talk to someone about an aspirational opportunity, they knew that they could sit down and have a pathway to government to talk about how they could do things better for their community. For all intents and purposes, that is being slowly dismantled and the confusion behind the scenes is extraordinary. [Member’s time extended.] Ms M.J. DAVIES: That coupled with the fund being demolished, essentially with all that consolidated revenue pushed into it, means that there is no plan for regional development. That is when I say that if the Nationals are part of a future government, we will always have royalties for regions as a part of our platform, but it will not be the version put forward by the Labor Party in this government, which is not royalties for regions. That is why we are very confident when we say that royalties for regions under a Labor government is for all intents and purposes dead—it is gone. I will very quickly in the last few minutes talk about issues from my electorate’s perspective and some sector issues around agriculture, which are important to me. I want to talk about the things in this budget that are going to impact not only the electorate of Central Wheatbelt but certainly right across the state. From my perspective, there are a few kickers in there that have been confirmed in the bringing down of the budget. First and foremost, I thank the Minister for Education and Training, the Premier and others for reversing their decision on Northam Residential College. As the member for Central Wheatbelt, it is a vital part of our community and certainly something we see as an opportunity to further develop. I urge them to do the same thing for Moora Residential College. The community that is running that campaign has our support for as long they need it because these issues cut right to the core of what regional communities see as the most important thing, which is to provide educational opportunities for their kids. The cuts to community resource centres are also particularly heartless. Twenty-five of the 103 community resource centres are in my electorate. They are at the centre of communities, some of which have no more than a population of 250 people in the whole shire, and offer support to seniors by allowing people to access government services and providing a computer or a printer to those members of the community who do not have access to access the most basic of information technology. That is just the very, very basic of what they offer. They work with community groups to assist in leveraging government and non-government funding to deliver projects and services in their community. They run training and provide opportunities for employment. The traineeship program, I understand, is at risk as a result of the cuts. The trainees who have gone through that program have gone on to be employed in other areas of the community. The centres have assisted mums who have come back to the workforce to gain confidence and do a formal type of training. Some of the older members of the community have been able to utilise that pathway as well. For the government to simply say that the CRCs will be able to cope and should just open their doors for three days a week is to completely discount the value of those services and what they offer to our communities. They are hurting. As I said, there are 25 of them in my electorate. There are 25 boards in my electorate that meet and are happy to contribute their time on a voluntary basis. It was very distressing to hear a comment—I am not sure which minister it was attributed to, but it was in the media—that suggested that our volunteers need to step up and fill in the gaps. I tell members what; they are at capacity in regional Western Australia, particularly in the wheatbelt. They already wear multiple hats in the community groups to keep our communities thriving. They do not complain about that, but for a government member to suggest that they need to step up and fill in the gaps because the government is taking funding from community resource centres — Ms S.F. McGurk: Who said it? You don’t know. Ms M.J. DAVIES: I actually said that I do not know. I acknowledge that. But it was on the radio and it was one of the ministers. I can correct the record if I can find it, but it was certainly attributed to a minister. It was very disappointing. It was in the context of some reports that has been released about volunteering. There were discussions yesterday on ABC Great Southern radio and there had been comments previously. My fear is that if we expect our volunteers to step into the breach left by these community resource centres not being open, they will not have the capacity to do it. They are happy to be part of delivering better services— emergency services and community sporting groups—to make all those things work because that is what we do. But those CRCs are vital and they offer some amazing opportunities for us to link into specialist organisations to create business opportunities. Across my electorate tonight, several meetings will be held at which business networks will be connected up to talk about the things they can do better in engaging with government and also drawing new opportunities into their community. That is the technology part of it, but the people who work in those offices provide things such as tourism advice. I was in the Bruce Rock CRC last week. We had tourists in there and a lady had come in to use the computers to access Medicare information. As we transfer more of our

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3063 government services onto a digital platform and as more of our ageing population will be required to access that information and engage with government successfully, we need to make sure that they are not being disenfranchised. That is exactly what is going to happen. If they are using their mobile phone, these people are relying on a good mobile signal in the first case. The CRCs are very close to our hearts in regional Western Australia. It is unfortunate that we have already seen a couple of incorrect classifications. The Minister for Regional Development has since corrected them. They were both CRCs in my electorate—Wandering and Boddington. I wonder whether, in the haste to claw back that funding, other mistakes have been made and further angst created for these networks that are trying to respond to minimised funding. The CRCs and the residential college that we have talked about at length in this place are two things that I feel very strongly about. In my electorate, we have outstanding residential colleges in Northam and Merredin. We feel for the community of Moora and the people who rely on that residential college because we know what our college means to us. I will touch briefly on agriculture being the key driver of the economy from a central wheatbelt perspective; it underpins my electorate’s economy. We have been getting more feedback from across the state about the Minister for Agriculture and Food and how her priorities in driving an agenda for agriculture are worrying people in regional Western Australia. She seems to be tinkering with some fringe ideas and ignoring conventional agriculture at the behest of devoting resources to some more unusual ideas. Today and previously we have talked about her attitude towards live export. It is incredibly disappointing because we need to have someone sitting around the cabinet table who supports, promotes and advocates agriculture, but this minister seems absolutely hell-bent on undermining that part of the sector. I welcome David Littleproud’s comments today in response to the McCarthy review. The review has been done on the basis of science. The fellow who delivered the report is a veterinarian who has been in the industry for a long time and has taken a scientific approach to it. David Littleproud, the federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, has been very clear about the fact that we need to make sure that if there is fault to be found, the directors of these companies need to be punished. There has been discussion around making sure that the stocking rates on these ships are reduced, particularly in the summer months. Ongoing work is being done on the regulatory framework and the role of the regulator, so further reviews are to be tabled. Today, on balance, the response of Minister Littleproud has been good and it has certainly provided some comfort to an industry in Western Australia in particular that was feeling very uncertain. It then woke up to the Minister for Agriculture and Food in Western Australia saying that she will continue to undermine that sector and create uncertainty. Mr D.R. Michael interjected. Ms M.J. DAVIES: That is what she is doing, member. If she says that she does not support a summer trade and will use every avenue available to her to shut it down and put restrictions on the trade, she is creating uncertainty and she is causing — Mr D.R. Michael: Is there a level of cruelty or an amount of cruelty that will change your views? Ms M.J. DAVIES: I have four minutes left. My position and that of the Nationals on live animal export is very clear. Mr D.R. Michael: Will you export no matter what? Ms M.J. DAVIES: Do not verbal me, member! Do not verbal me on this because I will tell him — Mr D.R. Michael interjected. Ms M.J. DAVIES: I will give the member the best example — The ACTING SPEAKER: Excuse me, member. I am sorry, but the member has only three minutes left, so we will let her finish. Ms M.J. DAVIES: I will read out the best quote that I have read about this. It comes from a young producer in Western Australia and her name is Bindi Murray. Her quote outlines exactly how I feel about this and states — “Looking after animals is about managing a variety of different environments and situations and the trade moving to a model that supports a welfare-based system is in line with how … producers, care for our animals.” That is exactly what the producers in Western Australia want to see—absolutely! These producers will welcome the fact that we are shifting along the supply chain to the animal welfare system that our farmers and producers use every day. I welcome the report today, and there will be more from the federal agriculture minister, but this is an important sector and the Nationals absolutely support it going forward with animal welfare being maintained at that central point. Just quickly in the last two minutes I have left, I was incredibly disappointed to see no ongoing funding in the budget for the Regional Men’s Health Initiative. At the moment, we are potentially facing another dry season in the wheatbelt. I am hopeful that we will get a break and the farmers who are getting towards the end of their seeding program will get the relief that they need. The Regional Men’s Health Initiative has saved people’s lives.

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I truly hope that the funding is not there because the contract has come to an end and an extension is being negotiated, not because the government does not intend to continue the initiative. Owen Catto and his team who started that program in the wheatbelt and now run it statewide provide an incredibly vital service for our regional families—not just for the men, but also for the women and the families who support the men. I personally know people who have been saved through this initiative. They have been on the brink of saying, “It’s all too much.” It is almost worse for these men when it is not a poor season. During a poor season, everyone is lumped in together and everyone feels the stress together. But it is those times outside that when a person might be struggling from a business or a family perspective and they need that ongoing support. I urge the minister, the Premier and the Treasurer to find the money to make sure that initiative can continue over the forward estimates because it is incredibly important and we are talking about people’s lives. It is not one of those things that can be pulled back. It is an essential service and it does far more than any government department could do on a shoestring budget to deliver an amazing amount of health education and support for those men and families who are under pressure in our regional areas. From a regional development perspective, we hold grave concerns for a strong agenda for regional development from this government. It seems to have completely disappeared. MS E. HAMILTON (Joondalup) [3.28 pm]: I, too, would like to make a contribution to the debate on the McGowan Labor government’s second budget: the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018. I stand here in state Parliament as a proud advocate for a vibrant and growing electorate. There is a lot going on in Joondalup and, with each passing day, I am reminded how lucky I am to represent this busy part of our state. From supporting a thriving business district to growing a learning precinct and an impressive health centre, Joondalup is a place that many Western Australian families call home. These families—each and every one of them—run a budget. They pay their bills on time, they spend their money responsibly and they do not leave huge debt to their kids. They are entitled to expect their government to do the same. Prior to last year’s election, this was not the case. Western Australians had a government that mishandled the budget and poorly managed our state’s finances. The 2017 election marked a profound change in our state’s direction. By electing a McGowan government, Western Australians elected a government committed to fiscal responsibility, and under the direction of the McGowan government, our state is on track to return to surplus in 2020–21. But fiscal responsibility and delivering a surplus does not mean ignoring the needs of our state. It does not mean that the government should fail to provide the services that Western Australians desperately need. That is why the McGowan Labor government is investing in Western Australia. We are investing in infrastructure and delivering services fundamental to our great state’s continued success. Health care is central to the 2018–19 budget and central to the concerns of my constituents in Joondalup. I want to talk primarily about what this budget does for our state’s health system. Members of the McGowan government know that without its health, our state does not have anything. Although the times may require responsible spending and this budget does precisely that, it does not sacrifice our government’s commitment to putting patients first. [Quorum formed.] Ms E. HAMILTON: The McGowan government’s approach to health is focused and the aim is clear—to build a sustainable, world-class health system and deliver the best health care for all Western Australians, regardless of where they live. That is no simple task. Delivering widescale health care of a high quality is made all the more difficult by our state’s significant size, but the McGowan government has the courage and commitment to meet the task. That is why this budget includes a $37 billion total investment in health, with $655 million invested in infrastructure over the next four years. The investments are wide and they are needed. We will see WA’s first urgent care clinic at Royal Perth Hospital. We will also see WA’s first medihotel as part of the large, 9.6-hectare Murdoch health and knowledge precinct located alongside Fiona Stanley Hospital. The precinct will include aged-care beds, housing and health and research facilities. These investments are about ensuring our state’s health care provides for our state’s needs. It is also about ensuring that the McGowan Labor government progresses its election commitments. It is what the people of Western Australia expect of this government. It is what they voted for and it is what they deserve. The health commitments within this budget relate not only to treatment. They also deal, as is absolutely necessary, with prevention of health issues and the promotion of quality health for Western Australians. They drive innovation, integration and cultural change. It is not just about us; it is also about future generations and ensuring their health is our concern. The healthcare commitments in this budget signal to all Western Australians that their health is our state’s health. This government continues to make funding for mental health, alcohol and other drug issues a priority to help the wellbeing of Western Australians. Dealing with drug use in the community is, regardless of whether we like it or not, one of the great challenges of this century. I have spoken before in this house on this issue. The government does not shy away from the challenge; this government is prepared to keep up the fight. Families struggling with these issues need help and support, as do those individuals who are enthralled in addiction. This budget says the help is there and, more importantly, it will continue to be there. While we search for solutions, we must continue to offer support.

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Importantly, this budget puts Western Australian’s health care on a more sustainable footing. In handling our state’s finances, which are funded by hardworking Western Australians, our government has a duty to make effective use of these funds so every health dollar spent represents value for money. Every health dollar delivers quality care for Western Australians. But the dollars matter; the greater the funding available, the greater the services we can deliver for Western Australians who need them. The 2017 election did many things, including sending a very clear message to the federal government. The federal government has been informed that Western Australia deserves its fair share of the GST, but it is not taking action. In the McGowan government, Western Australians elected a state government that is committed to fighting for Western Australia’s interests. The $189 million in health infrastructure funding committed by the federal government is proof of this. It is proof that WA has a strong government that understands the needs of its people and will fight for its fair share. The effort has not ended; we will continue to lobby the federal government to ensure contributions like the $189 million are given as necessary, not as ad hoc, payments, and ensure that the federal government gives us our fair share of GST. Joondalup Health Campus is of considerable importance to the people of my electorate, and I would like to take the opportunity to highlight just how critical this budget is to the people of Joondalup and their health services. The story of Joondalup Health Campus is, in many respects, the story of the northern suburbs. Joondalup Health Campus has been in operation since June 1996. In 20 years, it has more than doubled its public patient bed capacity from 235 to 514 beds. The Joondalup area has seen one of our state’s biggest growth spurts, with this growth showing no signs of stopping. Between 2013 and 2026, the north metropolitan population will increase by 29 per cent to just over 1.3 million people. This increased population will require increased healthcare services, with the demand focusing on Joondalup Health Campus. As the northern suburbs continue to grow, Joondalup Health Campus must also. By 2020–21, hospital demand will outstrip its capacity to deliver health services in the northern metropolitan corridor of WA. Urgent action is necessary if the healthcare needs of the northern suburbs are to be met by Joondalup Health Campus. The McGowan Labor government is delivering this. The budget provides a considerable $158 million contribution to the expansion of Joondalup Health Campus. The big challenge our state faces has to be met with decisive action. Significant population growth, localised in areas like the northern suburbs, requires thoughtful government solutions. Western Australians need a government that builds the health infrastructure that meets their needs and we will be doing that at Joondalup Health Campus. Activity at Joondalup Health Campus has increased significantly in recent years. Although the hospital continues to perform extremely well, the expansion will provide for health services in the northern suburbs unencumbered by a looming expiry date. It will ensure that the health campus grows with the community it services. In 2016 alone, the emergency department had close to 100 000 presentations, making it one of the busiest emergency departments in Australia. The hospital has held this position for some years now. It is vital that a place so many Westerns Australians attend in need of care and support is well equipped to meet those demands. The $158 million is, importantly, a responsible spend. Northern suburbs residents can take comfort in the knowledge that their state’s resources are being effectively managed and carefully spent. The expansion will include 90 additional public inpatient beds; an expansion of the number of mental health beds from a commitment of 30 to a standalone 75-bed mental health unit, with the support of federal funding; and the establishment of an urgent care clinic near Joondalup Health Campus to treat patients who are assessed as non-urgent and help reduce pressure on the emergency department. A medihotel will also be built to free up more hospital beds and improve patient flows. The expansion will also include eight new operating theatres, the establishment of a six-bed stroke unit and expanded emergency department capacity, along with increased parking for visitors and staff. I am really very happy about the funding that has been allocated in this budget for the opening of a six-bed stroke unit. I have raised the matter in this house and know that there is a need in the community for this unit. It has been spoken about for many years. In this financial year, work will commence on an acute, comprehensive stroke service. Funding of $5 million in 2017–18 budget has been allocated through a service agreement with the North Metropolitan Health Service and the operator, Joondalup Health Campus, for additional inpatient activity and non-admitted clinical activity in the new stroke unit. Work on the stroke unit will commence before the expansion, with the opening expected to occur in the second half of this year, which is not far away at all. A stroke working party was established at the end of 2017. Like most significant achievements, the stroke unit has been achieved through a team effort. I want to say thank you and congratulations to all involved. With support from the state government, the Department of Health, the National Stroke Foundation and the local community, the North Metropolitan Health Services and Joondalup Health Campus have worked together on the establishment of a local stroke unit. As our state grows older, it does not mean that we have to grow more vulnerable. Services like the stroke unit are fundamental to ensuring that our state provides its residents with a modern health service. I must take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Sally Allen, who heads up the stroke support group and has done so for many years. The upgrade and expansion of Joondalup Health Campus was a key election commitment by WA Labor to provide Western Australians with health care that both caters for their needs and makes effective use of their state’s resources, and that is what we are delivering.

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Moving on, I would like to spend some time talking about the great announcement that was made in Joondalup on Tuesday—Connect Joondalup. Where we live is an important part of this budget. On Tuesday, the McGowan government announced Connect Joondalup. It is part of WA’s biggest ever collection of infill opportunities. Just as our healthcare system has to grow in order to provide for our population, so too must our state’s housing. We know that families and young people are desperate to enter the housing market but are worried that the opportunities may not be there. Others are looking to downsize but want to be able to age in place. Issues like these require innovative government thinking to deliver solutions that cater to the wide variety of needs in our community. Over a long period, WA has nurtured some wonderful communities and places where Western Australians live and enjoy life, just like Joondalup. As mentioned already, we are home to one of our state’s largest shopping centres, Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City, which is a sprawling location offering a range of shops and services. Edith Cowan University is a thriving learning precinct, leading innovation in many areas. North Metropolitan TAFE in Joondalup supports students as they learn vital professional skills. The Western Australia Police Academy is training recruits to join the WA Police Force. These are all located very close geographically and in close proximity to Joondalup train station, a transit station that integrates local residents’ travel with their lives. The issue of housing choices and affordability is a critical one for the state and it is one that the McGowan Labor government is addressing. Connect Joondalup will continue the transformation around the Joondalup city centre, creating a community hub that is linked to Metronet. It will be located on 10.1 hectares situated between Joondalup Drive, McLarty Avenue, Shenton Avenue and the northern edge of Grand Boulevard. It is located directly opposite HBF Arena. It will see about 1 600 new dwellings built, with construction expected to inject significant funds into the state’s economy and create and support thousands of local jobs. The state government is currently seeking expressions of interest from private developers to achieve Connect Joondalup’s vision. A project of this magnitude needs support. I am pleased that the City of Joondalup has indicated its strong support of the McGowan Labor government’s plan for Connect Joondalup. On the front page of today’s Joondalup Weekender newspaper, the mayor said that he was excited about the prospect of seeing development and growth in the Joondalup city centre. I am pleased to hear this. I have spoken on this issue in this house before. Our local communities in parts of the northern suburbs are currently not satisfied with the plans in place to increase housing density. The city has shown a lack of leadership on this issue. People should rightfully expect that their local representatives do their job effectively and act in a way that ensures that they are successfully engaging and communicating with their local community. I have been advocating strongly within our government to increase density in the Joondalup CBD as the first place we should look to start to address increasing density. Connect Joondalup is a high-quality development in a strategic location that will benefit our community. It will create connected communities, with the government leveraging links between land use and transport planning. This development sits outside of current housing opportunity areas. This development and the resulting density should now inform the conversations currently happening around housing opportunity areas at the City of Joondalup. This is a game changer when it comes to the infill requirements for Joondalup and should be considered in the overall picture. Local residents understand the importance of increasing density but agree that it needs to be done in a well thought out way and in consultation with the community. The mayor needs to act as a leader and work with the state government on this so that we can see a positive outcome for all residents of the City of Joondalup. I look forward to seeing meaningful engagement to achieve a positive outcome. Moving on slightly, I would like to touch briefly on the new TAFE jobs and skills centres included in the budget. Progress is a fundamental part of this government’s plan for the state. Inseparable from progress is jobs. A key part of the government’s jobs plan is the creation of new jobs and skills centres at TAFE campuses. These centres are a vital part of WA Labor’s plan for jobs. The jobs and skills centres are state government services offering free career, training and employment assistance. It is important that our state’s education services are professionally minded and that they prepare students for the workplace. These centres are a one-stop shop for anyone looking to improve their skills and job prospects. It is a service for students, jobseekers and career changers. It fulfils an election commitment to transform Western Australia’s TAFE colleges into industry skill centres. North Metropolitan TAFE in Joondalup is the proud location of one of these centres. The campus is well placed to engage with the local community and industry so they can respond effectively to the needs of their clients. I know that this will be very well received in my electorate. Each centre will have dedicated staff providing practical implementation of our government’s plan for jobs. More is expected of jobseekers than perhaps ever before. Skills are needed to ensure that those entering the job market are able to contribute to industry from the outset. Jobs and skills centres are important ways in which our government will achieve this, to ensure that our state’s business and industry operate in the manner that is needed. I could talk for a while about the benefits of this budget and what it means for the people of Joondalup. The Premier was in Ocean Reef recently to announce that $5 million will be allocated to a state-of-the-art performing arts centre at Ocean Reef Senior High School. We listened to a performance from the band called Peace of Mind when the Premier and my colleague the member for Burns Beach visited the school recently. It was quite a treat. Students

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3067 who are participating in the contemporary music program at Ocean Reef will really benefit from the additional infrastructure that this performing arts centre will provide. After speaking with the principal, I am aware that it will be a great place for additional performance spaces in the northern suburbs. I will touch on one other local primary school. Beaumaris Primary School will receive $200 000 to fund a perimeter fence. The school P&C was in contact with the government quite a lot during the election campaign as the school has experienced significant vandalism, antisocial behaviour and damage to school buildings and surrounds. This funding has been very well received. This government has a plan for our state, and this budget helps to ensure that we achieve it. It meets the fundamental expectations of Western Australians. It delivers on health, enriches our community and integrates education with jobs. Our state’s budgets must be about ensuring that Western Australians’ money is spent for the good of Western Australians. The McGowan government’s plan for Western Australia is now well and truly underway. The hard yards are being put in now. Developing and implementing important budgetary decisions are part of ensuring that WA is well placed for future success. I commend the budget to the house. MR M.J. FOLKARD (Burns Beach) [3.47 pm]: I rise to speak to the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018. Before I do, I would like to say that my thoughts and best wishes are with the extended family of the people who lost their lives recently and the community of Margaret River, and our finest first responders, the police, who attended the tragic incident down in the south west. My thoughts are with them. I would first like to offer my congratulations to the Treasurer, the honourable member for Victoria Park, for the delivery of his second budget. Our government inherited the worst set of books since the Great Depression as a result of the reckless spending of the previous Premier and the member for Riverton in his role as Treasurer. We should remember that this recklessness was carefully evidenced and laid out in our Langoulant inquiry. That is a fact. Despite this, the Treasurer has managed to rein in spending growth from a decade-long average of 6.4 per cent and reduce it to a sustainable 0.9 per cent. This is a thoroughly commendable act, as the Treasurer has managed to both rein in spending and have a clear plan for job creation and infrastructure growth in Western Australia for my electorate of Burns Beach. In the last budget, $24 million was allocated to Burns Beach. Of that $24 million, $20 million is going to education. This includes the development of the much-needed Burns Beach primary school, on which we can expect to see work commence in 2021. As many present would be aware, I am passionate about education. I left school without knowing how to read and write. As a result, I had to teach myself to read and put myself through night school to complete my education. No child today should have to do that. Anything that I can do to ensure that the students of my community have a competitive and quality education will remain my and this government’s top priority. Nowadays the demands on future employees has meant that today’s students need to become competent in more than just literacy and numeracy; they must be digitally literate as well, broadly educated in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This is a huge demand that the modern environment places on our students. If this demand was applied to me all those years ago, I may not have got as far as I did, but it is necessary in order to compete in an increasingly digitalised world. Fortunately, our government understands this challenge, and will do what it can to support Western Australian students in realising their potential. This financial year, Clarkson, Mindarie and Joondalup Primary Schools will receive funding to install dedicated science labs. This funding will help introduce science lessons to our students at a younger age, and better prepare them for science in secondary school. It also enables our educators to be bold and innovative in curriculum delivery. I do not like singling out individual schools, but this innovation can be clearly evidenced by the outstanding work that principal Barbara Bromley, her staff and the P&C are doing at the Mindarie Primary School. In February, I met with the Clarkson Primary School principal, Tony Shields, who took me on a tour of his school. He was very proud of his school, to which lab facilities are to be added. During that tour he explained to me his plan for the classroom, and how he intends that the upgrades will facilitate what he termed K–12 STEM education. How exciting that is. This is a new vision for a competitive and modern education, because of funding allocated for science labs. One of the only middle schools in the metropolitan area is Kinross College. It has been of great interest to me. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the principal, Rod Buckenara, and his staff to ensure that we assist in meeting their needs as best possible. In the last financial year, the government allocated necessary funds to purchase a school bus for the college, enabling the staff and students to embark on greater educational experiences off campus. This year, I am pleased to report that preliminary work will commence on planning for the $2.5 million upgrade that our government has committed to this college. I will be delighted to address the house on the progress of this upgrade as it nears completion. As members present would know, a world-class education for our state’s students will result in a world-class economy. Or, put in simpler terms, if our kids have a good education the likelihood is that they have a better chance of getting a job, and if they have a job then there is little prospect that they will be breaking into homes. Good work prospects means lower crime rates. [Quorum formed.]

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Mr M.J. FOLKARD: With the continued commitment to a minimum of 50 per cent local content on all new trains for Metronet, demand for highly qualified machinists, electricians and engineers will increase. But more importantly, the manufacturing of these trains will create work down the track, and keep our state’s workers in good, sustainable blue-collar jobs. When I speak to members of my community, I hear numerous stories of how the shift from construction to production in the mining industry has caused lots of redundancies amongst our state’s construction workers. Recently I heard in horror about the amount of home repossessions currently in progress in my electorate, most with clear links to fly in, fly out. It breaks my heart. This has especially affected our young people. In my electorate I have pockets of youth unemployment at over 20 per cent. These kids who are completing their certificate courses are now entering into uncertain futures with little or no work, and are having to look beyond their trade to make ends meet. To those in my community experiencing this, I hear them, and I have listened to their concerns. Our government is going to fix things, and create work for them in the northern suburbs. Our investment of $520 million in the extension of the Joondalup line to Yanchep as part of Metronet remains. This will require thousands of workers, and inject several millions of dollars into our local economy during its construction. Most importantly, it will offer relief for Western Australians in construction who so desperately need work. Metronet’s benefits are far reaching. As I have previously mentioned, the construction of the extension of the Joondalup line to Yanchep will create jobs, but it will also reduce congestion on our roads as commuting by rail becomes a viable alternative. The less time my community spends on the road commuting, the more time they can be enjoying quality time with their families. These are the kinds of planning considerations that our government makes. We think about our community—our people, our vulnerable and our kids—and we care. The loss of lives on our roads is, I believe, entirely avoidable. It seems optimistic, but I believe it. In my time in the Western Australia Police Force I saw far too many avoidable crashes. Poor road conditions, dangerous behaviour and driver inexperience are the biggest killers on our roads. Making the death knock on the door of some poor family member, partner or friend of someone who has been involved in an accident is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Whatever we can do to stop the carnage on the roads is a noble pursuit. Whatever stops deaths on our roads should be the highest point of this government’s agenda. I truly think this. This budget invests $181.5 million into road safety initiatives, $70 million of which will be allocated to roads in regional areas that are of high risk and in poor condition. Through better country policing, approximately 40 lives have been saved. For the time being, I can only speculate on what improving the quality of high-risk roads will do to our state’s road toll. I believe that it will undoubtedly fall as a result of this allocation of funding. In my last 14 months as member for Burns Beach, I have made it quite clear that I am also concerned about driver education. I have met with the Professional Driver Trainers Association to hear its concerns about the standards of teaching quality that our new drivers receive. I have spoken to people such as Peter Leonard, from Belgravia Driving School, who worries deeply for inexperienced drivers on the road because, like me, he sees firsthand the dangers that poor driving habits can have on road safety. My and this government’s commitment to improving driver training and education is reflected in this budget. The allocation of $2.4 million to driver training and education for regional and remote communities will make a dramatic difference, and it will save lives. I often find myself wondering about how many lives our government could change had the previous Liberal government not devastated the state’s finances. Like most Western Australians, I was disgusted by the findings of the Langoulant inquiry. If the government were a business, and the ministers the board of directors, then the Australian Securities and Investments Commission would have them all behind bars as sure as I draw breath. I was disgusted by the recklessness with which the previous government, of which the member for Riverton was Treasurer, spent our state’s revenue. I spent most of my working life on the beat, but even to me, it is incredibly obvious that someone spending $4.8 billion dollars of taxpayers’ money should at least have a business plan prepared. I will quote from the report of the Langoulant inquiry — It is notable that a significant number of projects examined did not have adequate or indeed any business cases. This is financial mismanagement at its worst, and the victims of this—the people of Western Australia—are the ones who have to bear the burden. Mind you, given the way in which members opposite voted to block our changes to the gold royalty, I get the impression that they want the burden of budget repair to fall onto ordinary hardworking Western Australians. They want the mums and dads of our community, our battlers, to bear the burden of their incompetence. That is a crime. They do not get their mates in big business to do the lifting, let alone the heavy lifting. They do not want them to pay their fair share for operating in our state and profiting off our workers and our minerals. This is how transparent some of those present today are. I am a proud biker. I have my Harley, and I ride for solitude and pleasure. When I ride, it also gives me the ability to disappear in plain sight. Recently, I was refuelling my bike at my local Caltex, and in front of me was a little old lady with a English accent. She was having a heated battle with the fuel attendant about the fuel discount. I watched with interest as she spoke, and it dawned on me that this individual was possibly a pensioner from the United Kingdom. If she was, she was living on a non-indexed pension, and the $5 fuel discount she was arguing for was her next meal. She left before I could intervene, to my disappointment.

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Last week was the first time in the 14 months I have been in this place that I have heard opposition members speak on a matter of public interest. They spoke about how cost-of-living increases are hurting Western Australian households, in particular low-income earners and pensioners. Let us think about that statement. Opposition members stopped the increase in the gold royalty, which was an opportunity to reduce the impact of those price increases. They ridiculed the McGowan government, which targeted increases in water charges by putting the emphasis on the heavy users of water and reducing the impact on the working poor. Do members opposite care about the vulnerable in our state? I doubt it. I will evidence this. I listened to the debate in this house about the recent liquor licensing amendments. Not once did I hear any member opposite speak about the social consequences of saturation liquor sales. Having spent my life dealing with the violence that comes from excessive alcohol consumption, that beggars belief. It demonstrates that members opposite care about one only thing—power, and not our community I commend the bills to the house, and I offer my congratulations once again to the Treasurer. Thank you. MR C.J. TALLENTIRE (Thornlie — Parliamentary Secretary) [4.02 pm]: I also wish to contribute to the debate on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018. After two terms in opposition during the two terms of the Barnett government, it has become a habit that I would go to the budget papers and look for any project or funding that would be directly applicable to my electorate and find next to nothing for my electorate. However, that has now changed, and wonderfully so. This time around, the headline item in the budget for my electorate is $536 million for the Thornlie–Cockburn train line. That is a tribute to the approach that is being taken by this government. The government is not afraid to spend on areas of Perth that need some lifting up and level of investment. That funding will make a great difference to people’s lives. More broadly, it reflects the philosophy of this government about the importance of connectedness. I think that is what this budget is in many ways about. It is about ensuring not only a geographic connectedness but also a mobility connectedness. That includes social mobility. That is very important. If we as local members are to do our job well, we need to ensure that we build our communities and enable people to interact, find new work opportunities, have strong family lives and be big contributors to our society. That is all beginning to bear fruit now that the McGowan government is finding its way and getting on with things. I saw a beautiful demonstration of this last night when for the first time I was able to cross the new bridge over the train line on Nicholson Road and enjoy a six-lane experience, with no boom gate problems, and wonderful slipways into Yale Road. I commend Main Roads WA for managing to complete this project so successfully. I look forward to resuming discussions with the people from Main Roads about how the large roundabout at Nicholson Road–Yale Road–Garden Street will be negotiated. That includes at peak hours, with discussions about traffic metering on that roundabout. The $536 million spend includes train stations at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road. This was raised by the member for Southern River. It is important that we continue to discuss with the communities their hopes and aspirations for those train stations. The basic model is for a train station situated in the middle of a sea of asphalt that will be used for car parking. However, there may be other higher-value land uses that we should look at. I am particularly interested that right near where the new Nicholson Road train station will be located is a large yellow warehouse that covers some four hectares of land and is occupied by a company called easyauto123.com.au. That is clearly a poor use of that land. That land is located in the City of Canning. I am sure the City of Canning is an eager as I am for that land to be rezoned to enable it to be developed to its optimum use. Making sure that we get the development around stations right is all part of the connectedness that I have talked about and ensuring that we provide people with opportunities. Another exciting project in my electorate is in Maddington. I commend the government on its announcement this week about the creation of 5 000 dwellings through its The Precincts project. That sounds tremendous. That project will be spread over a number of areas. It is interesting that the old Maddington oval site provides the potential for 4 000 dwellings. This is yet another example of how this government is investing in areas in which people have struggled for a long time, in which crime rates are high, and in which property values are fairly stagnant. This investment will lift the suburb of Maddington and provide people with access to public transport to give them options other than relying on their cars. All sorts of opportunities come with that kind of investment. It is all about renewal. That makes me think that the discussion around urban sprawl is probably moot when we look at the amount of land in my electorate that is suitable for brownfields development in one form or another. This project will provide thousands of dwellings, without the need to push people way out to the fringes of the city. I have said that one of the core philosophies of this government is connectedness. As a local member, a very important part of my job is to make sure that people are part of an organisation or can reach out to organisations when they need to do so. However, the reality is that there are people in our community who are isolated. In the western world, there is a growing national and international discussion about the problem of loneliness and isolation. We need to work to counter that problem. That is perhaps one of the root causes of domestic violence. I commend this budget for the $4.3 million that will be spent to implement the National Domestic Violence Order

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Scheme. Such initiatives are very important. I was at a session on the weekend with Save the Children and there was a realisation that amongst people who are newly arrived in the country, again, because of that isolation factor that is not only geographic, but also sometimes cultural, there is a problem with domestic violence. I commend Save the Children on the work that it is doing to ensure that people are able to reach out and discuss this problem before it becomes an issue in a family. People are able to talk about the problems that they are facing and counter it from the start by making sure that people are involved in sporting clubs and what have you. I refer to the Communicare initiative that I have spoken about before in this place. The My Sport Night Fields program is a collaboration with the Gosnells police, the City of Gosnells, the Gosnells Football Club and many other organisations. It brings people together on a Wednesday evening, using a wonderful oval that otherwise would not be used. It is a tremendous way to counter that sense of isolation that many can feel. These sorts of developments give people wonderful opportunities. In passing, I was looking at some research on the issue of family and domestic violence. An article made the comparison between the profile and the expenditure that is put towards countering terrorism versus the amount that is put towards countering family and domestic violence. The article made the point that between 2002 and 2012, 488 women were killed across Australia in homicides perpetrated by their current or former partners, whereas in the previous two decades five people were killed in terrorist attacks in Australia. Our media and the general policy discussion are very focused on terrorism, but forget or want to avoid the issue of domestic violence. In this place, we all need to work towards countering that. To see that, we need only look at the front page of today’s local paper—some might call it “The Daily Mail on Swan”. The top third was about the royal wedding, the next third was about terrorism and the bottom third was about sharks. There is the public policy discussion from that media outlet. We have to work as leaders of our communities to counter that. This budget funds many great initiatives. I commend the Treasurer, the Premier and all the ministers on their work. I refer to an issue that I raised when I was in opposition—that is, the subsidy going to the mining sector through the exploration incentive scheme. I note the clever way that we are turning that around. We realise that there is still a need to provide that exploration incentive scheme, but we have to develop a mechanism by which the industry can contribute to, and be the beneficiary of, that. The shift towards cost recovery in such areas as environmental assessment of projects makes perfect sense, and the saving there is $19.4 million. There is a range of other really sensible initiatives. I commend this budget to the house and acknowledge the great role that the government is playing in ensuring that we have strong connected communities that have access to good-quality public transport. We are maximising the land available in our inner suburbs. I am starting to call my suburb, Thornlie, an inner outer suburb. We are maximising the opportunity of property development and giving people high-quality accommodation, which is absolutely essential. We do not want to see the endless pattern of battleaxe–type infill housing. We need high-quality developments that will be an attractive alternative. For some people it is a reasonable choice, but for many it is difficult because they have to spend many hours commuting to dwellings on the city’s outer limits. I commend the budget to the house. MRS R.M.J. CLARKE (Murray–Wellington) [4.15 pm]: I rise to speak on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018, and our sensible and responsible budget. The McGowan Labor government’s budget for 2018–19 is creating jobs for people in the regions and investing in projects that make real differences in local communities. Investments have been made in regional roads, community services, environmental protection and emergency services. Alongside this, funding has been given to major projects and schemes that will drive economic growth in regional areas. Furthermore, commitments have been made to the once overlooked electorate of Murray–Wellington. The McGowan government is making these investments while also maintaining responsible financial management and the delivery of low general government expense growth, ensuring that we stay on track to reduce state debt and return to surplus. As our regional towns change and grow, road upgrades and improvements are needed to ensure that the roads remain safe and fit for purpose. This budget has included $70 million towards improving regional roads that are identified as high risk for run-off crashes. This is an important step in keeping our roads safe for not only the local communities that use them every day, but also the tourists who use these roads when travelling through the regions and, in many cases, the truck drivers who use these roads as part of their job. This is in addition to the previously announced funding of $18.5 million over four years for the regional enforcement unit, which is increasing traffic enforcement on regional roads and making them safer. Importantly, one of the largest road projects in the south west, the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, has received a contribution of $106.3 million in this budget. In areas such as Australind in the southern part of Murray–Wellington, many people work in or regularly travel into Bunbury. The construction of the outer ring-road is important to them as it will alleviate traffic issues on other major connecting roads such as Old Coast Road, Forrest Highway and South Western Highway. The road will also help facilitate development at Bunbury port, which will help industries grow right across the south west. Overall, more than $2 billion will be spent on the state’s regional roads between 2018–19 and 2021–22. Emergency services and bushfire mitigation in the regions have been addressed in this

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3071 budget. The McGowan government has acted on the recommendations of the Ferguson report into the 2016 Waroona–Yarloop fires and established the rural fire division. This is the largest investment that any state government has ever made into emergency services in the regions. The rural fire division will bring record improvements in rural fire management, ensuring that our volunteers have the best access to bushfire training and expertise. The division will also aim to improve the relationship through the appointment of volunteer liaison officers to facilitate communication between volunteers, the department and the government. Volunteers also will be given a greater say in bushfire management in rural areas. This announcement has been very warmly welcomed by the people in my electorate of Murray–Wellington, and I strongly commend the McGowan government for establishing the rural fire division. Mitigating the risk of bushfires is extremely important, but so is how we as a government assist areas that have been ravaged by bushfires. The town of Yarloop is still rebuilding after the 2016 fires. This budget shows the government’s commitment to helping the town rebuild and recover. An amount of $800 000 in additional funding has been allocated towards the clean-up of Yarloop, which at this stage of the recovery process will make an immense difference to the town getting back on its feet. Funding for community programs and facilities in the regions has been provided in the budget, with $9.3 million towards an alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation and treatment service in the south west and $20.5 million across the state for the Target 120 program for early intervention with young offenders. These two projects are vital for local communities as they will provide help to people and their families when it is needed most, and give those people the best possible opportunity to reintegrate into the community. The Find Cancer Early campaign in regional areas has been expanded, and the McGowan government continues to fund the patient assisted travel scheme to support people in the regions when they need to travel for important medical treatment. We are also assisting our volunteers and seniors with the continuation of the Country Age Pension Fuel Card and the volunteer fuel card. We are committed to assisting those most vulnerable in the regions, in Murray–Wellington in particular. Youth in the Peel region are receiving much-needed mental health support through the construction of the Peel youth health hub and the ongoing tier 3 youth mental health program, which works with schools across the region to help our at-risk youth. There has also been $4.4 million allocated to upgrades at Peel Health Campus, the first investment made at the hospital since the previous Carpenter Labor government. Tourism in the regions is being supported through funding of $39.7 million over four years to showcase our regional destinations and the spectacular environment that attracts people to the south west, and Peel is being protected through the establishment and management of Leschenault Regional Park and the development of a comprehensive estuary protection plan for the Peel–Harvey estuary. The environment and health of the Peel estuary and the Leschenault Peninsula is incredibly important both to local residents and to tourism in the area, and by having effective plans and management in place for these areas, we are ensuring that these pristine environments can be retained for years to come. Importantly, the McGowan government is investing in projects that will drive economic activity and investment across the Peel and south west regions. The regional economic development grants scheme will encourage economic development in the regions through community-driven initiatives that have the ability to bring immediate economic activity into every region across Western Australia. This follows the already announced new industries fund, which will support new and emerging businesses in the regions to help build their businesses, leading to more job creation in those industries. Within the electorate of Murray–Wellington two major projects will create economic growth and jobs right across the electorate. The first project is Transform Peel, comprising the Peel food zone, Peel Business Park and the Peel integrated water initiative, which is located at Nambeelup just east of Mandurah. The Transform Peel project will diversify the economy and create thousands of jobs for the region, as well as securing food production for the greater Perth metropolitan area. The McGowan government understands the importance of this project not only for the Peel region but also for the greater Perth area, and has allocated just under $50 million for the project, including $25.2 million in this year’s budget. The second project is Kemerton Industrial Park, where investment is already underway. Located north of Australind, funding has already been allocated towards railway access to the park and towards creating opportunities for local businesses there. Strategically located near Bunbury port, this park has the potential to be a major economic hub for the south west. After the federal coalition government previously dragged its feet on funding the Myalup–Wellington water project, federal funding has finally been secured for the project to go ahead, along with a $37 million commitment from the McGowan government. This project will bring in new agricultural activity across the south west by providing access to more water for irrigation in the region. Agriculture in the area is also being developed through the Myalup primary industries reserve development, which allows access to 2 000 hectares of land in the Myalup and McLarty state forests for future irrigated agriculture, creating jobs for the south west, particularly in Murray–Wellington, and expanding the state’s horticulture industry.

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There are also a number of important projects that already began in last year’s budget and are continuing this year. One of these is the continuation of and guaranteed funding for the south west emergency rescue helicopter, which provides an invaluable service to those who need immediate transportation to Perth in emergency situations. The Australind train service is undergoing a much-needed upgrade, with work already beginning on upgrading Yarloop train station so that it meets current disability standards. Once completed, the entire service will be revitalised, with new railcars and upgraded stations in Yarloop, Cookernup and North Dandalup. This was overlooked for far too long by the previous government. We have and are continuing to put education assistants and Aboriginal and Islander education officers back into regional classrooms, giving students the assistance they need to succeed in school. Two schools in Murray–Wellington have been the recipients of science labs to ensure regional students have the opportunity to gain greater access to science learnings. The McGowan Labor government is getting on with its plan for jobs by investing in projects that will create real economic growth for the regions, encourage development in new and emerging industries, and diversify the economy. We are managing the finances responsibly and spending the scarce money we have in the areas that really make a difference in local communities. The government has given regional areas certainty over how bushfire mitigation will be managed through the establishment of the rural fire division. Our regional roads are being made safer, our unique environment is being protected, and important community services are receiving the support they need to reach positive outcomes for those whom they serve. Every single project and initiative the government has invested in throughout Murray–Wellington will create local jobs for local people in the regions. The McGowan government is putting the state to work by creating jobs, Western Australia’s economy is turning the corner, confidence is returning, and local jobs are being created. This government is for all Western Australians. I am proud to represent the electorate of Murray–Wellington under a McGowan Labor government. We are getting on with the job and we are in this together—all Western Australians. MR M. HUGHES (Kalamunda) [4.26 pm]: I, too, rise to make a contribution to the debate on the budget bills— the Appropriation (Recurrent 2018–19) Bill 2018 and the Appropriation (Capital 2018–19) Bill 2018. At the outset, I commend the Treasurer, Premier and ministers for their hard work in delivering what the community broadly sees as an eminently fair and responsible budget for the people of Western Australia—the second, as we have heard, in only eight months. It is important that we look at the 2018–19 state budget in the context of the government’s overall strategic commitment to responsible financial management and its determination to balance the books, to return to surpluses and thereby begin the long-haul process of reducing the state’s accumulated debt position—the legacy of the previous government. This commitment is in stark contrast to the unrestrained profligacy of the Liberal–National government over its eight years, six months and five days in office. This budget is both prudent and carefully crafted. What does this budget do? It delivers historically low expenditure growth and a projected return to surplus by 2020–21. That has arrested the unsustainable growth in expenditure and net debt inherited from the previous government. Over the last three days my parliamentary colleagues have closely examined the facts of the budget. The opposition has taken the predictable tack—as we heard this morning from the Leader of the Opposition and shadow Treasurer—of muddying those facts and perpetuating the line that the budget is all “smoke and mirrors”; that expression was also used by the Leader of the Nationals WA this afternoon. It is in that context that I think the following bears repeating. The 2018–19 budget forecasts low rates of expense growth, at an average of 1.2 per cent for the period 2018 to 2022. I think members of the opposition should give that a tick. This is, as we have heard, well below the annual average growth in expenditure of 6.7 per cent over the past decade. This budget halts and reverses the noticeable upswing in expense growth of the previous government’s budgets over 2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016–17, following a significant dip in expenditure growth in 2014–15, compared with the seven per cent or so of 2013–14. The low rate of expense growth achieved in this budget reflects the reprioritisation of existing expenditure by the McGowan government and the cumulative effect of its savings measures across the period of the forward estimates. Prudent financial management is already the clearly established hallmark of the McGowan Labor government. I know that for members opposite it sticks in their collective craw and that of the Liberal and National Parties outside this place that vaunt themselves as superior in knowledge and skills with regard to the management of the state’s finances. How hollow does that particular claim ring in the context of the way in which they left the state’s finances when they left office? The only financial plan the opposition offered the state prior to the March 2017 election was to sell off Western Power to pay off some of the massive debt accumulated across the Barnett and Nahan years. That was the smoke and mirrors presented to the electorate in the run-up to the last election. The Liberal Party had no plan for expenditure restraint and curtailing the wanton and uncontrolled splashing of the cash from the royalties for regions bucket. Members opposite need to read the Langoulant report and to learn a lesson or two. It points to the Liberal–National government’s lack of rigour with projects funded under royalties for regions, and a lack of rigorous oversight. Members may care to be reminded that royalties for regions did not have a strategic plan from 2008 in its inception, until 2016–17 when the first plan was developed—that is telling;

[ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] 3073 talk about financial mismanagement. If re-elected to government, the cycle would have begun again. Members opposite have no coherent plan in opposition, and, in fact, the opposition has no coherence. Dr D.J. Honey: You are in government; it is your job. Mr M. HUGHES: Members opposite are the alternative government and they are not doing a particularly good job at demonstrating their capacity to return to government—certainly not going by the member for Cottesloe’s contribution to date. What is the current state of the finances just 14 months after the general election—not eight years, six months and five days, members opposite? Let us remind ourselves of it. The estimated general government operating deficit for 2017–18 stands at $1.3 billion, which has halved since the Government Mid-year Financial Projections Statement. Expense growth, as we have heard, has been contained to just 0.9 per cent—as close to zero as we can possibly can get—with a forecast average across the forward estimates of 1.2 per cent. These are very good figures. Members opposite should listen and learn in case they ever get back into government. The revenue outlook has stabilised with revenue expected to grow by an estimated, relatively modest, 3.5 per cent during the budget period. Operating deficits are slated to decline year on year with a projected return to surplus by 2020–21. The improving outlook has seen a significant $3.2 billion improvement on the forecast level of net debt when compared with the 2017–18 budget. No congratulations from members opposite—my goodness! The Treasurer said prior to the 2017 general election that in office Labor would tackle the inherited, historically massive accumulated projected debt of the previous Liberal–National government, slowly and methodically, and members opposite decry this statement like paying off a mortgage once expenditure can be brought under control with the generation of surpluses. The generation of surpluses will pay down debt. The selling of state assets is a chicken way to deal with the inheritance that the opposition left my grandchildren. The prime and major issue to be tackled by government, which the previous government failed to do, was to write structural imbalances into the state’s finances created by the previous government’s policies. The Mark McGowan government has shown itself up to the task. The path to surplus is clearly ahead of this state government. Intelligence and competence has produced a disciplined approach towards recurrent expenditure management. We have heard that the Leader of the Opposition seems to think that this has just fallen into the Treasurer’s lap and, therefore, he has not done any hard work. I do not accept that. This government’s approach combined with a more stable outlook for the state’s revenue stream, results in declining forecast operating deficits for 2018–19 of $906 million and 2019–20 of $160 million, before returning to a surplus in 2020–21—the first surplus since 2013–14. I cannot hear even one small congratulatory statement from members opposite! Dr D.J. Honey: They are made-up numbers. Mr M. HUGHES: They are not made up. Mr W.R. Marmion interjected. Mr M. HUGHES: Very good. I thank the member. Most importantly, the outlook for this financial year is underpinned by lowering current spending growth, and the capacity for this government to successfully negotiate with the federal government for additional funding towards priority infrastructure projects, including Metronet, its station precincts and all the economic stimulus that Metronet will bring to this state’s economy. In total, $3.6 billion has been allocated to Metronet projects. The combination of stronger, general government sector operating results are expected to see total net debt reach $40.9 billion by 30 June 2020, before declining to $39.7 billion by the end of the forward estimates period. Surely members opposite could show a modicum of praise for this turnaround. Despite the claims of members opposite that we support the working poor, the government’s reasonable and fair measures to repair the budget have been taken in such a way to ensure that any impact on struggling families and small-to-medium businesses will be kept to a minimum. I am surprised that members opposite cannot accept the fact that this government has done all it can to ensure that households are not impacted worse than they might have been had the government not taken a more prudent approach to the reprioritisation of its budget forecasts. It is worth underscoring that without the budget repair measures instigated by the WA Labor government, net debt would have risen to more than $47.2 billion under the legacy left by the opposition when in government. Importantly, the government is on track to meet all its financial targets by 2021. The policies of this government extend beyond repairing the state government’s finances, and to the state’s economic activity. The state government’s determination is to do all it can to create new jobs and new apprenticeships by investing in key WA economic infrastructure, and with it the development of a local skilled workforce. This approach is the driver for the intentional diversification of the WA economy. Although members opposite do not like to hear these facts, around 30 000 additional Western Australians have already joined the workforce since March 2017. As our economy recovers, business confidence is returning, having reached its highest level in the March 2018 quarter in more than seven years. The result is that as we speak, WA’s labour force participation rate is one of the highest across the country. The business community roundly endorses the government’s comprehensive plan and the smarts displayed by the WA Labor

3074 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] government. We have heard this in question time over the last week, but I would like to add a further example. I will quote from the recent press release of the Property Council of Australia. It states — Linking the Government’s public housing investment plan with METRONET and partnering with industry is a smart … move. This answers questions from industry about how some of the more marginal station precincts can be established with a diversity of housing options. It states other things but concludes with — Overall this is a steady budget with a strong infrastructure focus to encourage private investment in the METRONET precincts plan in Perth and key regional centres. This is underpinned by a welcome commitment to reduce the Budget deficit and bringing down State debt. The member for Dawesville seems very interested in my electorate and me. I am not sure why. Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup: Because we are going to take it back. Mr M. HUGHES: We will see what happens. Importantly — Several members interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Members! Mr M. HUGHES: That is interesting. We will put a bit more effort in next time, I think. Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected. The ACTING SPEAKER: Members! Mr M. HUGHES: When the opposition benches were empty this afternoon, bar the Whip, bearing in mind what was said about Darling Range, I thought members were on their phones already or doing a bit of doorknocking. I am not quite sure what they were doing this afternoon, but here they are now. What does the state budget mean for my electorate? Importantly, it means that the government is financially prudent. As I said in September last year, in broad terms, my electorate has received the comfort of knowing that there is a set of competent and responsible hands governing this state at long last. That is what the people wanted and called for at the March 2017 election and it is what the people have got. The government’s first budget struck the right balance to restore responsible financial management to the state and to help drive economic growth to create new jobs for Western Australians. The second budget continues in that vein. One of the important pre-election commitments was to the Local Projects, Local Jobs program, which amounted to $39 million for 750 projects across the metropolitan area. I am particularly pleased that my electorate received a total of $911 000 in grants towards 25 projects and that a number of them have been completed in the first year of this government’s term of office. I will not bore members with the list. Those community groups in my electorate are very appreciative. They include local schools and the bush fire brigades that have benefited from the program. As I mentioned last year, the Local Projects, Local Jobs program is about supporting local, grassroots initiatives that can make a big difference in local communities across the state. I believe that a small amount of government funding invested will go a long way towards supporting the work of community groups in our electorates. Treasurer, if we ever get around to doing it, I think it is a project that is well worth repeating. As part of the pre-election commitments to my electorate, the City of Kalamunda was promised a $3 million allocation towards a community hub project. The City of Kalamunda has determined that the location of the community hub should be the site of the existing learning centre in Jorgensen Park. The city has requested that the funding be directed towards that learning centre, which will be the principal user of the facilities. I have been working very closely with the government to deliver that funding in as timely a fashion as possible. The member for Dawesville mentioned the intersection of Kalamunda Road and Roe Highway. Unlike the member, I am not preoccupied by what might benefit just me and my election promises directly in my electorate. The intersection is the main intersection for people who commute to work from Kalamunda, Lesmurdie and Gooseberry Hill. It is a major problem and has been for many, many years. The former government did nothing about it, as well as not doing a lot of things in my electorate, particularly regarding a couple of schools, which I will come to in a moment. [Member’s time extended.] Mr M. HUGHES: I am pleased for my parliamentary colleague the member for Forrestfield; the intersection is in his electorate. The intersection currently prevents the distribution of traffic up and down the hill. A commitment of $86 million, as part of a $2.3 billion road and rail and infrastructure commitment, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, is very welcomed. I have a few facts. The Roe Highway–Kalamunda Road intersection is one of the last remaining signalised intersections on Roe Highway. It is heavily congested, leading to a higher than average number of crashes, member for Dawesville, and some of those people actually live up the hill.

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Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected. Mr M. HUGHES: Of course, but I have a broader interest in the way in which this government makes decisions about the distribution of funding across the state in metropolitan, rural and regional areas. I think we are doing an excellent job. Several members interjected. Mr M. HUGHES: I could pass this information to members so they could read about some of the things that have occurred across the Perth metropolitan region and in rural areas. Mr S.K. L’Estrange interjected. Mr M. HUGHES: We will wait for the questions in estimates; they were not particularly edifying last time. We are very pleased to have funding for that intersection and we thank the government for it. I also believe that the project will provide upwards of 600 jobs over the period of its construction, which is welcome. I might add that the jobs will be across the state, for people outside my electorate as well, member for Dawesville. The budget also provides a further $14.684 million for the completion of the much-needed upgrade of Great Eastern Highway between Bilgoman Road and Mundaring, which is in my electorate, member for Dawesville. The budget also allocates an additional $128 million investment in fire and emergency services over the next four years, which includes $80 million to establish a dedicated rural fire division within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. I am very pleased that, in a period of 14 months since taking office, the McGowan government has taken effective action and responded to recommendation 15 of the Ferguson report by establishing a dedicated rural fire division. Despite commentary to the contrary, this is welcome news for rural and peri-urban fringe hills communities and, as I gather from comments made to me by locals, is welcomed by the volunteer bush fire brigades that serve our hills areas. Member for Dawesville, during the election campaign I placed the increased provision of high-needs aged care as my number one priority. I wish to reassure people in my electorate that I am working with the government on this commitment to improve the delivery of residential aged-care facilities across the state, not just in my electorate, member for Dawesville. Last year, the Minister for Planning took action to approve the scheme amendment to permit the Gavour Road aged-care development in the City of Kalamunda. In March this year, the government reinforced its commitment in an announcement made by the Premier, the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Health on the allocation of government land across the state, including land adjacent to the Sunshine Park Village residential aged-care facility in Lesmurdie for its expansion needs. The WA Labor government is committed to identifying government land suitable for aged-care facilities and making it available for this purpose in keeping with its pre-election commitment. This will be achieved by fast-tracking the approval processes involved in the establishment of additional aged-care facilities, thus freeing up public hospital beds and improving the quality of life of the elderly. The commitment includes not only identifying land that may be suitable for aged-care facilities, but also, importantly, removing planning and local government impediments to facilitate increasing the availability of those facilities. In keeping with this pledge, I am pleased to remind the house of the establishment of the interdepartmental aged-care availability working group, jointly chaired by the Departments of Health and Planning. I have been appointed an ex-officio member of that group. Members will be aware of my strong interest in education. The 2018–19 budget provides for significant, continuing investment in school infrastructure in metropolitan, rural and remote areas across the state and, with it, the creation of jobs. The capital works program will ensure that students in metropolitan, rural and regional Western Australia are learning in the best possible environments. This government is fully committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of where they live, receive a high-quality education. To that end, a total of $22.2 billion will be invested in education over the next four years, including $1.2 billion to build and improve WA schools to ensure that students learn in modern school facilities. In closing, I again would like to raise a concern I have about the condition of buildings at a number of schools in my electorate. I am glad that the Treasurer is here. As I said during my contribution to the two 2017–18 budget appropriation bills last September, my electorate and I are well aware of the constraints placed upon this government and the pre-election commitments and priorities it brought to the people. I am, however, particularly of the view that the majority of the buildings at Lesmurdie Primary School, excluding those provided by the Building the Education Revolution funding, a Labor initiative, are well beyond their use-by date and need replacing. As I have said previously, to continue to patch and repair the buildings is, in the view of the school council—I share that view—simply throwing good money after bad. This is a longstanding issue for this community. The community does not expect this government to overturn its existing priorities but we need to help that community and it should be the intention of this government to do something about those facilities. Kalamunda Senior High School is managing with 17 demountable or transportable classrooms. Although they provide teaching spaces, they fall well short of what we should expect to provide in all our schools. These are not

3076 [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 17 May 2018] first-class facilities. The students attending Kalamunda Senior High School and Lesmurdie Primary School deserve better. My goal in the time that I have in this place, member for Dawesville, short or long, is to ensure that they get what they deserve. Quite rightly, my community benchmarks the provision of its schools against the schools being built in developing suburbs. Schools built for this century rather than the last century should be the schools to which we send our children. This is a difficult but not impossible task. Kalamunda Senior High School provides an excellent comprehensive education and has a specialist performing arts program but it is constrained significantly by the lack of specialist learning facilities for its programs. Its dance program takes place in a storage space under the stage. The students are not able to lift themselves to shoulder height for fear of hitting their heads on the fans on the ceiling, and we have to do something about that, member for Dawesville. Equally, the co-located education support centre struggles because less-than-adequate teacher preparation areas are available. It is time that these schools are provided with the opportunity to give a clear statement of their needs to the education department and provided with a clear indication of when they can expect to be placed on the list of school upgrades. Again, it is not a criticism of this government; it is more a consequence of the legacy left by the previous government. Governments have to make choices when prudently balancing the priorities and finite resources. I thank the Treasurer for what he is doing in this area for the state. I also understand that governments are required to keep faith with their pre-election commitments. The McGowan government, in the face of the extent and the severity of the financial problems left as a legacy by the previous government, is keeping faith with its central commitments to the people of Western Australia to build a better future for all the people of Western Australia. I commend the budget to the house. MR B.S. WYATT (Victoria Park — Treasurer) [4.53 pm] — in reply: I thank all members for their contribution to the second reading of the budget. I am sure that all members would be pleased to know that I will not be responding in detail to all issues raised during the debate. It is always interesting listening to members reflect on the budget. Obviously, some very kind words were said by members of the government and very unkind, unfair words were said by members of the opposition, as is often the case. I enjoy listening to members from electorates far and wide around our vast state and the issues that they raise. Along the way, there are unique issues to individual electorates but, by and large, the issues do not surprise me. At a state government level, they are very much focused around the issues that dominate a budget: the delivery of essential services, upgrades to those services, and the impacts on fees and charges, which of course all governments spend a lot of time fretting and thinking over before decisions are made. I enjoy the parliamentary debates and second reading contributions around the budget because we get a sense of issues that are dominating the minds of all members of this place. Obviously, budget estimates will be the time when all members get the opportunity to cross-examine ministers around the details of the budget, and I look forward to that occurring next week. I thank all members again for their contribution to the second reading debate on the budget. Questions put and passed. Bills read a second time. Pursuant to standing order 222, bills and estimates referred to Estimates Committees A and B. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE Special MR D.A. TEMPLEMAN (Mandurah — Leader of the House) [4.56 pm]: — without notice: I move — That the house at its rising adjourn until Tuesday, 12 June 2018 at 2.00 pm. I wish all members the very best for WA Day on the long weekend in June. Question put and passed. House adjourned at 4.56 pm ______

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QUESTIONS ON NOTICE

Questions and answers are as supplied to Hansard.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT — ALBANY WAVE FARM 2768. Mr D.T. Redman to the minister representing the Minister for Regional Development; Agriculture and Food; Minister Assisting the Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade: I refer to the Albany Wave Farm Project and ask: (a) Was a business case for the project completed prior to ERC approval for the project funds; (b) Has funding provision been made for any network augmentation to allow connection of the wave energy project to the SWIS, and if so, who is paying for the augmentation; (c) Is any new funding required for network augmentation need cabinet or ERC approval; (d) Was the Minister provided a copy of a score card referred to in document 3(a) from a FOI request to the Minister’s office in October 2017, prior to making a decision on the preferred proponent; (e) What will be the technical capacity of the common use infrastructure required to be left behind once the proponent completes their commitments to the wave farm project; and (f) Was advice from Carnegie Clean Energy provided to DPIRD that $14.4m would not be sufficient to proceed with the project significant in the decision to increase the government funds available to the project? Mr M. McGowan replied: (a) The State investment into the Wave Energy Technology project was an election commitment approved by Cabinet. As it is an R & D project, the standard business case methodology is not relevant. The decision to award the grant to Carnegie followed a rigorous tender process. (b) Under the terms of the Financial Assistance Agreement, any required network augmentation is the responsibility of the Recipient. (c) N/A. (d) No. (e) The agreement with the proponent calls for the common user infrastructure to have a capacity to export greater than 1MW of electrical power. The current design proposed is for a nominal capacity of 1.5MW. (f) No. No negotiations around the quantum of the grants took place with the proponents. TREASURER — PORTFOLIOS — STAFF SURVEYS 2867. Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup to the Treasurer; Minister for Finance; Energy; Aboriginal Affairs: Has any department or agency in the Minister’s control undertake any staff surveys since 1 January 2017 and if so: (a) between what dates did the survey take place; (b) how many people participated in the survey; (c) what were the aims of the survey; and (d) have there been any results or reports prepared as a result of the survey: (i) if yes, have these been provided to the Minister: (A) if so, on what date; and (B) if not, why not; and (ii) will the Minister table the results or reports: (A) if not, why not? Mr B.S. Wyatt replied: (a)–(d) Please refer to Legislative Assembly Question On Notice 2877. TRANSPORT — NAMBEELUP 3036. Dr M.D. Nahan to the Minister for Transport; Planning; Lands: Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the investment of $45 million in Nambeelup?

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Ms R. Saffioti replied: Potable Water Supply – $5.48m Waste Water – $5.91m Power Supply – $9.26m Gas Supply – $0.59m Road Upgrades – $13.52m Common User Infrastructure Sites and Access – $9.56m Project Management – $0.89m TRANSPORT — PROJECT BUSINESS CASES 3038. Dr M.D. Nahan to the Minister for Transport; Planning; Lands: (1) Will the Minister provide the business cases for the following projects: (a) Broome Port Upgrades; (b) Midland Station Project; (c) Karnup Station; (d) Railcar Program; (e) Multi-storey car park at Mandurah Station; (f) Ocean Reef Marina transformation; (g) Port Hedland Waterfront Revitalisation project; (h) Transforming Bunbury Waterfront; (i) Eastern foreshore redevelopment; (j) Development of Nambeelup and Kemerton and Shotts Industrial Park; (k) Establishment of rail access to Kemerton Industrial Park; (l) Investment of $45million in Nambeelup (to ensure future growth of Peel Business Park); and (m) Upgrades to boating facilities at Broome’s Entrance Point and Town Beach? (2) If the business cases are not complete, please provide a status update on the development of the business case and when it is expected to be complete? Ms R. Saffioti replied: The Minister notes the Leader of the Opposition’s newfound interest in business cases. The Minister also notes that had the Leader of the Opposition displayed such an interest in business cases during his time as Treasurer, the State may not have found itself in its current financial situation. It is also noted that the Leader of the Opposition is still refusing to release the business cases for the Perth Freight Link and Forrestfield–Airport Link projects. (1)–(2) (a) The member is asked to specify which upgrade he is referring to. (b)–(c) The business cases are currently being developed. (d) The procurement process for this project has not yet been finalised. Consideration can be given to releasing the business case once this has occurred. (e) The Public Transport Authority is currently developing a Station Access Strategy in consultation with stakeholders. (f) The procurement process for this project is not yet underway. Consideration can be given to releasing the business case once this has occurred. (g)–(l) Whilst the Minister and her agencies have a role in the delivery of these projects, her agencies are not responsible for the development of the business cases of all of these projects. Business cases are under development. (m) The Shire of Broome has completed a funding application. ______