Contrasts between ALP, Libs: WA Labor

A year since heading to the polls West Australians are facing huge increases in
family bills, ballooning debt and massive job losses under the Liberal government,
the state opposition says.
Premier Colin Barnett led the Liberals to a shock election victory after the
September 6 poll last year, with the Nationals declaring their support on September
14 after also holding talks with Labor.
Neither of the major parties won enough seats to govern in their own right after
former Labor premier Alan Carpenter called an early election on August 7, a day
after Mr Barnett became the Liberal leader.
Opposition Leader Eric Ripper said the Nationals' royalties for regions program,
which was part of its conditions of joining forces with the Liberals, had resulted
in huge spending.
"Huge growth in spending is occurring as the Nationals pork barrel their electorates
and the state's debt skyrockets," Mr Ripper said.
"At the same time budget cuts have seen frontline services and vital programs slashed.
"Western Australian families are paying the price for this budget mismanagement with
massive increases to family bills including new increases to electricity, water,
public transport and parking fees."
The past 12 months had illustrated a very stark contrast between the Labor and
Liberal governments, Mr Ripper said.
"Mr Barnett is trying to drag Western Australia back to the 1990s when essential
services were poorly delivered and Western Australian families received the cold
shoulder of cuts and sharp increases in family bills," he said.
"Millions of taxpayers' dollars are being wasted as the Barnett government returns
the public sector to the 1980s."
Mr Ripper said unemployment had grown from 2.3 per cent to 5.7 per cent since the
Liberals came to power, with 40,700 West Australians losing their jobs.
Mr Barnett told a Sydney audience on Thursday major resources projects, including
the Ord River Dam and irrigation schemes in Kununurra, would create jobs, drawing
workers from other states.
WA is spending $230 million on extending irrigation channels, roads and bridges at
the site, while the federal government is committed to spending about $190 million
on improving social infrastructure.
Mr Barnett said with the demise of the Murray-Darling system, he could foresee "a
generation of young Australian irrigation farmers moving to areas like Kununurra".
"It is a great opportunity for people to go and work in a fairly remote location and
earn a lot of money to buy and pay off their house in three years," he said.
Treasurer Troy Buswell has imposed three per cent budget cuts or "efficiency
dividends" on the public service as part of an election commitment to improve the
economic and financial management of the state.
Electricity price hikes of 25 per cent were flagged in the state's May budget, with
the Liberals blaming Labor for not increasing prices during their tenure and
breaking up the state's power supplier.