Stuart Henry (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I take pleasure in seconding the motion today and speaking in favour of it. It was certainly interesting to hear the member for Fraser talk about having a special nerve in raising tax issues. There is no doubt the Howard government has introduced a funding mechanism to ensure that states do have revenue to support their recurrent expenditure through the GST arrangements, yet we still see the state government in Western Australia, with the highest taxing state treasurer ever, increase their tax take—by only $5.2 billion! That is a record in the history of Western Australia.

Are they spending more on schools? Are they spending more on road infrastructure in an appropriate and effective way? No. It is the Howard government, through its Investing in Our Schools program, that is ensuring schools have appropriate toilet blocks, playground equipment, and computer suites and systems so that our kids can be educated in the technology that they so urgently need to be. The Howard government’s Roads to Recovery and black spot funding are supplementing what the state governments should be doing to ensure a reduction in accidents, particularly on Western Australian roads.

It was very interesting to note a headline on 28 September by the Chief Reporter of the West Australian: ‘I’ve creamed an extra $1b in stamp duty’. It is a disgrace. An extra $1 billion in stamp duty actually limits the ability of people in the electorate of Hasluck from getting into housing in the new housing areas through Forrestfield, High Wycombe, Maida Vale, Wattle Grove and Gosnells. According to Mr Rossen from the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, home buyers in 2001 paid $4,720 in stamp duty on a median priced home; in 2006, they are paying $16,580 on a median priced home. Last week in the state parliament, the opposition proposed that the state government lift the exemption on stamp duty for first home buyers to the median price of $420,000. The impact that this would have on revenues is a mere $50 million. Compare that to the $970-odd million that the state government reaped this year in additional stamp duty on housing. It is time that the Western Australian state government actually got itself together.

Both the Premier and the highest-taxing Treasurer, the state member for Belmont, the Hon. Eric Ripper, have recently issued bold statements about their commitment to record infrastructure programs. Their commitment to record infrastructure programs extends to some 14,500-odd new public servants who are not teachers, nurses or policemen. Where they are, who knows? But there have been 14,000-odd additional public servants since the state Labor government came to power in 2001. That is where they are spending a lot of this surplus. Furthermore, the other infrastructure program—the one that we all know about, the Perth-Mandurah railway line—blows out by another $50-odd million every time it is mentioned by the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. I would suggest that, since that project was first announced, the costs have gone up substantially. Where do those costs and increases—probably in excess of $100-odd million since this project got underway—go? They go to support their union mates who are out on strike, off on picnic days and doing everything other than ensuring that they meet the time frames for the development of this particular infrastructure project.

I ask you, Mr Deputy Speaker: where are these infrastructure programs? All we hear from the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning over there is dithering and delays about the Perth-Bunbury highway. That is supposed to be an important strategic road for which the Commonwealth government has provided substantial funding. The way things are going, they will lose another $20 million from that because it is not meeting the time. (Time expired)

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