ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS — 2020–21
STATE BUDGET
763. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
In the upcoming budget, can we
expect the $1.944 billion that the government has cut from royalties for
regions over the past three budgets to be returned to the program to ensure
that regional Western Australia will receive a fair share of the funding it so
deserves?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
Once
again, the premise to the question is incorrect. We have retained royalties for
regions exactly as we said we would before the state election. I recall the
National Party campaigning before the state election saying, ''The government's
going to get rid of it.'' If members go and look at each of the last
three budgets, they will find royalties for regions is in the budgets and
funding important projects all over regional Western Australia. We have kept
our commitment to regional people across the state. What members will find in
this budget, once again, is important commitments to regional Western Australians.
I
look at you, Mr Speaker. I was with you the other day turning the sod to start
work on the important Albany ring-road. We do not fund regional WA only
from royalties for regions. We also fund it from other parts of government.
Direct appropriations from other parts of government go into regional Western Australia.
Looking at regional Western Australia—I have been in the regions a number
of times in recent weeks—we see an economy that is strengthening,
fantastic services and people who are confident about the future.