Hansard

Bills

Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025

Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025

Second reading

Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting.

Ms Sandra Brewer (Cottesloe) (3:57 pm): The opposition takes no issue with prudent budgeting assumptions given the highly volatile nature of the iron ore price, but the Treasurer certainly has enjoyed a run of good luck that was not experienced by Treasurers who came before her. Whilst the government spruiks its efforts to diversify the economy, we should not overlook the incredible contribution of mineral resources to the state. I know that the Premier is highly conscious of the factors needed to ensure the sector's enduring prosperity, particularly an available and productive workforce, efficient approvals and low energy costs. We support every effort to improve the investment and operating environment for our mining and resources sector to secure long-term royalty income that is so critical to providing services to the public, while also continuing to support our regional communities that underpin the state budget exports and exports revenue with sophisticated and valuable contributions through the agriculture sector.

Commonwealth grants are estimated at a total $18.8 billion in 2025–26, which highlights a large increase in GST grants across the forward estimates. Commonwealth grants over the five-year period from 2024–25 to 2028–29 are forecast to be relatively stable with a slight fall reflecting the anticipated one-off $1 billion payment of Western Australia's allocation under the Commonwealth's DisabilityCare Australia Fund. We support the government in its advocacy for the upcoming GST reviews and we support Treasury's analysis in the state budget papers.

With the Productivity Commission's finding that the current system results in a redistribution of the GST that is too extreme and complex and has the potential to distort state policies, we encourage the government to continue its efforts to develop evidence-based submissions and make representations to counterparts in other states and Canberra, as we will do on our side. Of course, the high level of Commonwealth grants for infrastructure is good for our state, and I acknowledge the efforts of the Premier and Treasurer to secure funding, although it is concerning that the grants are forecast to drop significantly. With the re-elected federal Labor government, our expectations remain high and the opposition, both state and federal, will watch closely how much is invested in our state.

On every measure of revenue, receipts are pouring in the door. Members with long memories will recall the crisis in revenue under the era of Treasurer Mike Nahan, a competent and intelligent person who was dealt a rough deal when it came to financial circumstances. When he was Treasurer, the iron ore price was under US$40 a tonne and GST receipts fell to $1.9 billion. In analysing the good fortune of this Labor government, I did an analysis of revenue received over the eight years of political terms. I think even during question time today and the matter of public interest debate, it was quite clear that some members on the other side have long memories. They continually like to refer back to this period of government. So, let us look plainly and clearly at what the situation was during that era and what this era of the McGowan–Cook government has faced. The total revenue of the Barnett era from 2009–10 to 2016–17 was $205.6 billion. The total revenue of the McGowan and Cook governments over the similar eight-year period from 2017 to 2024–25 was $313.2 billion. Members, the difference is 52% more revenue for a total of $107.6 billion. I hope that settles once and for all the immense good fortune of this Labor government, and the Treasurer is no doubt hoping her luck does not run out this term.

What should a responsible government do with good fortune like this? When the Howard and Costello government found itself awash with revenue, it did not just spend for today; it planned for Australia's future. It paid down Commonwealth debt to zero. It reformed Australia's tax system, introduced the GST, created a Future Fund to safeguard long-term liabilities and delivered meaningful tax reform to Australian families. In contrast, this WA Labor government has presided over an extraordinary $107.6 billion gain, which is 52% more revenue than that received by the previous Liberal–National government over a comparable eight-year period. Yet with all this good fortune, what do we have to show for it? There has been no tax reform. There is no structural relief for households or small businesses. In fact, we see rising taxes and record levels of revenue. Western Australians are paying more and getting less. This was a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our state's finances, reduce the burden on working families and businesses, and build a more competitive, resilient economy. That opportunity has been squandered, and despite coming to government with a debt of $32 billion, this budget reveals that current debt levels are remarkably similar—an estimated final outcome of $33.5 billion in 2024–25. I will look at debt more closely in a moment.

This government has squandered a golden economic run by shirking big decisions and opportunities for reform when it had the chance. Like someone who wins the lottery or inherits a windfall but fails to pay off the mortgage, this government has enjoyed the boom without planning for the inevitable downturn. There is no strategy for long-term fiscal responsibility, just wasted opportunity. The rapid rate of expense growth is something that all Western Australians should be concerned about. This year, general government expenses have grown by 10.6%. The year before, it was at 7.7%. This state budget is forecasting general government growth at 4.3% in 2025–26. However, expense growth rates in budgets mean very little to this Treasurer. Last year's state budget forecast 4% expense growth, but the midyear review revised that up to 10.8%. Members, the midyear results were released on 23 December 2024. This Treasurer claims that she will spend only a little and then does whatever she wants. The government's own financial targets fail to be met when it comes to its aspiration for disciplined general government expense management.

This year's budget outlined that except for the expense management target in 2024–25, the government's financial targets were expected to be met in each year from 2024–25 and beyond. But what is extraordinary is that last year's budget stated something really similar. All the government's financial targets were forecast to be met except for the expense management target in 2023–24. Every year, there is a concession. The government fails to meet its own targets that it sets for itself to control expenditure. So much for the fiscal responsibility that its own Langoulant report highlighted the need to adopt! Will this budget be similar when the midyear review comes around in December? I will be sure to interrupt the Christmas preparations of our friends in the media to let them know. Expense growth of 7.7%, 10.5% and now 4.3% is not prudent cost control; it is a runaway rate of spending growth that will not be sustainable in more challenging economic times. Like any household or business, debt levels have the potential to cause financial harm if they are not managed well. When the revenue runs short, as we know it will, what will the government do about these baked-in expenses?

I reflect for a moment on WA's measure of budget balances and note that the operating surplus, the highly publicised number of $2.414 billion, is not the same as the bottom line. The real bottom line is a $4.8 billion cash deficit forecast for the total public sector in 2025–26. That is $2.8 billion higher than projected in the Pre-election Financial Projections Statement. The real bottom line includes all the costs of the public sector, including utility entities and the asset investment program (AIP). These deficits are the main driver of forecast increases in net debt.

Business News is onto the Treasurer. In a conversation between Mark Pownall and the very professional Mark Beyer, who interviewed the Treasurer at a post-budget breakfast, Mark Pownall summarised it this way:

On that other measure, we're spending more than we bring in, whereas on the measure they're using, they're not.

Despite all the years of surpluses, debt keeps going up because the money continues to be spent on the elevated asset investment program. The Treasurer recently said she was comfortable with debt approaching $40 billion. That marks a fundamental shift from the days of Mark McGowan's promise of fiscal responsibility. If her approach was more conservative, WA could be debt free.

Mr Shane Love: Acting Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the chamber.

(Quorum formed.)

Ms Sandra Brewer: Let us consider another state with a Labor government that is comfortable with debt—Victoria. Members might laugh. How could its economic ruin be comparable with WA? Consider this: Victoria's net debt was $23 billion in June 2019. Other than the COVID insanity of Labor's leaders in Victoria, the primary driver of debilitating debt is what has been described as a vast and dubiously beneficial infrastructure for "trains to nowhere".

It reminds me of the headline about ghost trains in The West Australian, referring to the Yanchep line, which was predicated on a business case of 5,200 daily boardings and 20,000 by 2031. Time will tell whether the project cost, which started at $386 million when it was promised in 2017 and rose to $1.34 billion—

Several members interjected.

The Deputy Speaker: Thank you, members!

Ms Sandra Brewer: —by the time it was completed gives an acceptable return on investment for the Western Australian taxpayer.

Mr Mark Folkard interjected.

The Deputy Speaker: Member for Mindarie, thank you! Please continue.

Ms Sandra Brewer: If we do not reach those daily boardings, operating cost subsidies will continue to weigh on the budget.

Unfortunately, this financial recklessness is not just a one-off. It is emblematic of a wider issue—missed opportunities and broken promises. In 2017 WA Labor was elected on a mandate to pay down state debt. Its headline strategy was clear. There are people here in the room who were part of this promise. If the iron ore price exceeded $85 per tonne and WA's GST relativity rose above 65%, the government would bank half of the iron ore royalties into a dedicated debt reduction account. Both conditions were met and have remained so repeatedly since 2018–19. Iron ore prices have soared well beyond $85, peaking above $200 a tonne at times. WA's GST share, thanks to reforms largely secured by the previous Liberal–National government, consistently stayed above the 65% threshold, and yet the debt repayment strategy quietly disappeared. Instead of saving, Labor spent. Instead of locking in long-term financial resilience, the Labor government embarked on an infrastructure binge without adequate scrutiny of benefit-to-cost ratios or value for money. What was the result? The state continues to borrow and state debt has not meaningfully declined. It is now forecast to reach $42.5 billion in three years. WA's once-in-a generation opportunity to reduce debt and reform the tax system has been squandered. If Labor had stuck to its own plan, $24 billion would have been utilised to pay off debt. Even if a portion of the royalties were saved, we could have made serious inroads into reducing debt and shielding the budget from future shocks. That is the real tragedy here. It is not just a broken promise; it is a failure to govern in the long-term financial interests of this state.

It brings me to another worrying feature of the state budget, being the eye-watering blowout in the asset investment program, driven largely by the Treasurer's fixation on spending whatever it takes on road and rail projects. In last year's state budget overview the Treasurer said the budget was presented at a time when the WA economy was firing on all cylinders, which means she knew of the heat in the economy, the risks of inflation, but she continued with counterintuitive elevated public spending. In the first term of the McGowan government, from 2017–18 to 2020–21, the average spend in the asset investment program was $5.3 billion and now it has risen sharply. It was $13.6 billion in the Pre-election Financial Projections Statement in December 2024. This state budget confirms that expected spending in 2024–25 was $13.7 billion and it is forecast to be $12 billion in 2025–26. This level of spending far exceeds the state's capacity to deliver and comes with serious damaging opportunity costs. Unlike her predecessor, Mark McGowan, who kept strong control of budget expenditure, the current Treasurer has more than doubled, in fact close to tripled, investment in asset construction. The WA Treasurer has led a counterintuitive inflationary investment and high-spending period right at the same time that the private sector has been strong. Overspending on Metronet is a consistent feature of this government. The Treasurer, who is also the transport minister, has mismanaged the projects to the extent that the cost overruns are in excess of billions. Let us take three examples. The Thornlie–Cockburn Link, initially budgeted at $536 million, is now three times the price, at $1.627 billion, $275 million extra of which has been added since the Pre-election Financial Projections Statement. The Byford rail extension—

Mr David Michael: Do you support the project?

Ms Sandra Brewer: I support budgets being set and managed to, which this Treasurer has failed to do. For example, the cost of the Byford rail extension, which I note will add one station to our network, has risen from $797 million to $1.335 billion. As a nod to the Member for Butler, the Yanchep rail extension, which I recently rode on, holds a special place on this list, with a cost–benefit ratio estimated at 2.6 in the business case. The Yanchep rail extension should have been the crown jewel of Metronet to deliver the best returns for our state of the whole series of projects. Yet, the final cost is 2.8 times the original budget at $1.442 billion compared with $520 million. The Deputy Premier's mismanagement in her transport and Treasury portfolios has cost the state dearly. Again, I reiterate that this was supposed to be the best value for Metronet but the costs of the loan have blown up the business case, not to mention that the projected benefits have failed to be realised, as the population modelling and the fares to be generated were overstated. It only gets worse on the other lines. Hence, the metropolitan public transport cost-recovery rate is down to 17.3% in this budget.

The government might like to shrug off overspend in a casual manner. It might like to pretend that this opposition does not support railway lines, but Western Australians know it is taxpayers' money that has been wasted from this government's inability to manage its own budgets. It would be nice for all members if these various Metronet blowouts were already available in this budget, but guess what? The pages are missing, members; they are gone. The Metronet table has vanished. It has just been removed from this budget. I would love to know the table that lays out the waste and mismanagement across all of these projects, but it has been omitted. I guess, draw your own conclusion.

The elevated asset investment program expenditure is stretching resources very thin and causing real problems. Let us get to the problems. Unfortunately, the government's focus on transport—I can see on the faces of many other members in the chamber from time to time that they know it is true—is creating numerous issues across the public service, and the government's failure to plan is causing problems for its many departments, which are struggling to maintain their service delivery. It is a common thread across multiple agencies as you read the significant issues sections in the budget. The Department of Justice warns of an unprecedented prisoner population growth and states that its capacity to accommodate prisoners is being exceeded, placing pressures on correctional services. The Department of Communities raises serious concerns about increased demand for child protection and family support services, citing ongoing difficulties in workforce recruitment and retention. The Department of Education highlights challenges in meeting enrolment growth and infrastructure needs while the Department of Health flags rising emergency demand and growing complexity in service delivery, all placing pressure on hospital capacity and staffing. Budget after budget, the warning signs have been there—overstretched departments, growing case loads and workforce shortages—but instead of a plan, the government offers excuses. It is a public sector straining under pressure, unable to deliver the basic public services Western Australians rightly expect. Costs keep blowing out for government because the government is contributing to market over-capacity. I give a small example from my hometown of Bunbury. An additional $34.1 million will be invested over 2025–26 and 2026–27 to complete the transforming of Bunbury's waterfront stage 3, phase 1 works, which are currently under construction. They have experienced cost increases as a result of market-driven cost escalation and additional civil and services works. That is bad news for anyone else trying to build anything in Bunbury, and the WA taxpayer will yet again bear the burden of another case of overspending caused by the construction capacity issues in this state. The risks of the asset investment program driving up state debt are laid out clearly in the budget, which notes, and these are the government's own words:

The operating surpluses projected across the forward estimates are a key funding source for the AIP, while reducing the need for additional borrowings to fund infrastructure investment.

Despite the government's marketing of the state budget as shifting from transport, rail and road infrastructure to poles, wires and energy infrastructure, it is all spin. The pie chart still reveals that 28% of the asset investment program is maintained in transport, even when the 2024–25 year is excluded.

A growing population means more provision of government infrastructure, and the budget confirms that continued elevated demand for services will likely require consideration of additional investment in future budget processes. That is more money that will need to be spent. For example, for some time now, there has been a general consensus that we will need a new prison in this state. In November last year, the report of the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services found that the adult prison population climbed to more than 7,700 in the year to June 2024—an increase of 15%. Inspector Eamon Ryan noted that surging inmate numbers had caused severe overcrowding across most facilities and that many sites were at or beyond full capacity, with cramped three-person cells and deteriorating conditions that fall short of acceptable human rights standards. The budget includes provision for business case planning to address expansion of the custodial estate to accommodate prisoner growth in the longer term, but, members, there is no money for a new prison. Begrudgingly, the government did something in the budget, stating:

In response to growth in the prison population, the Government will invest $6.8 million in 2025–26 to deliver an additional 100 beds across the adult custodial estate. An additional $3.3 million of recurrent expenditure has been approved to progress planning for further custodial infrastructure expansions.

One hundred beds for a population of 7,700 adult prisoners is growth of 1.3%. Where are all Labor's social justice warriors now? To me, it is an obvious, necessary and essential addition to the asset investment program in the out years, but it is firmly on the backburner despite our growing population. There is more to be spent on Metronet. There is money for a racetrack, but not a prison to humanely house criminal offenders. This is a government of the wrong priorities.

The massive public infrastructure program is also causing problems for the private sector, especially in residential construction. The Cook Labor government is making the housing crisis worse by investing billions in construction projects at a time of high economic activity. This is not just poor timing; it is crowding out the private sector, driving up costs and worsening housing supply. Analysis by Urbis reveals a stark supply-side reality: only 19% of apartments approved since 2020 have commenced construction. Construction economics have been undermined by a government prioritising its own pet projects—over-engineered train stations with no immediate development prospects and a new racetrack, all at the expense of much-needed housing. It is not just apartment projects; it is greenfield land projects that are suffering under the weight of this government's program. As Nigel Satterley AO is reported as saying in a Business News article in March 2025:

For us … going back, say, five years, we built a stage efficiently in six months, now it's taking ten to eleven … because a shortage of men, not machinery, men, not materials, it's all manpower, workers.

The apartment developer Paul Blackburne correctly lays the blame on the government squeezing out the private sector. He says that the state government is driving up house prices more than it can imagine by spending taxpayers' money at the wrong time. It is far more than it can imagine for sure. Last year, the Treasurer budgeted that the Perth median house price would rise by 4.5%, which would have already been 50% faster than her inflation forecast. What she delivered was 18% growth, which is in keeping with the 20% she delivered the year before, and I am sure we will see it all happen all again. The budgeted 4.3% house price growth in the out years is a fantasy. This government's track record on housing is a disaster. It has built fewer houses than the governments led by Premiers Court, Carpenter and Gallop, and Barnett. Richard Court and the following Labor government each oversaw 148,000 dwelling units built in this state. Colin Barnett took it up a notch to 203,000 homes in WA, setting up a prosperous lift in our state, although this government's housing failure amounts to 128,000 dwelling units constructed. Pulling every lever does not include pulling the lever back to slow down the Treasurer's rate of transport spending.

The supply challenge is real. The neglect shown by this government only keeps young people locked out of a future, and those struggling face further marginalisation, barely clinging onto the periphery of a market that cannot keep up with the demands placed on it. Every family deserves secure housing, and under this government, they are sorely disappointed. The government promises it is serious about housing, but it is only on paper. It is only when the Premier stands in question time and says that his priorities are the cost of living, housing and—goodness knows—I think the third one was a racetrack. It is not delivering, and now industry, business and the community are onto it. Why budget seriously if it cannot deliver?

Cassandra Winzar from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia again notes that housing pressures in the WA community remain acute, the measures in this budget are inadequate to address the size of the challenge, and a critical issue holding back progress on new home builds in WA, including social housing, is the lack of a construction workforce. An already constrained construction workforce is made all the worse by this government, which continually lures all the commercial builders away from the private sector with large projects like a film studio. Many would describe this as adding fuel to the fire. What a terrible decision. It is the total opposite of what a government should be doing. It is common economic wisdom to give government stimulus counter-cyclically to the market. CEDA also says that there is a real argument to put a couple of big projects on the backburner and spread something down that would in particular give us more ability to deliver on what really should be the priority project at the moment, which is getting more housing built. It says that when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. We see that in the government's delivery. Is the cost of living a priority? The single biggest household expense—housing—is a runaway mess under Labor's watch. Is Metronet a priority? It may not get a page in the budget anymore, but we know what the true cost has been, and it has not been pretty and it has not been on budget, and it is all because of the Treasurer. She budgets on things like housing, infrastructure, expenses growth and the list goes on, but she can never deliver because the labour market is not what it used to be as a direct result of her policies that further constrain an already tight market.

Even local governments are struggling to get resources. As one mayor of a leading council confided in me, they have to pay through the roof to get contractors to consider working on their local government projects as the state government is the contractor's preferred client. I wonder why. That just means that everyone's rates go up to cover the cost.

Moving on from transport overspending and the myriad problems it has caused, what else has this government done with its incredible run of economic good fortune? Since being elected, the focus has been on a rugby league team being set up in WA, building a Burswood motorplex in the middle of a park that had a 10-year master plan and defending bare-knuckle boxing. This is the rugby team for which the Premier said on Tuesday 5 March, before the election, not a single dollar of taxpayers' money would go to the National Rugby League, but there it is in the budget—a line item for $60 million. The Burswood motorplex is in there, too, with $4 million in the 2024–25 financial year, $141 million in 2025–26 and $72.5 million in 2026–27. This is a government with the wrong priorities. Its priorities should be the people who are doing it tough in this state—the people who are facing the highest rent rises in the nation, young families struggling to buy a home and single parents struggling to pay their bills. This budget has not done enough to address the cost-of-living crisis that many in our community face. It is not an election year now and the Treasurer has stripped out many of the benefits previously offered to families.

There are now no power credits, effectively increasing household charges by $400; VacSwim class entry fee assistance has been removed, adding close to another $200 to what the average family needs to find; there is a 5% increase in the emergency services levy and a 3.3% increase in motor vehicle charges; and electricity charges will add $47.55. These few issues alone mean the average household will have to find an extra $743 this year. So much for the $50 saving that was claimed on budget day.

As the shadow Minister for Energy Hon Dr Steve Thomas has said so succinctly, a simple priority of government should be to keep the lights on and the power running to all the houses, businesses and heavy industries that need it, and do it at a cost that householders, businesses and industries can afford. It is quite simple, but the state government's energy strategy is falling short and there simply is not enough generation, distribution or storage capacity in the current plan to meet the government's most basic duty, which is to deliver reliable, affordable energy to Western Australian homes and businesses. What is the real warning sign? Power prices are on the rise and businesses are already feeling the hit. For now, households have been spared the worst of it, but the relief will not last forever. The state budget reveals that taxpayers are propping up a mismanaged energy network to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars annually. It is not sustainable; it is certainly not a plan.

What we are witnessing in WA is a damning paradox. There are record revenues and unprecedented economic tailwinds, yet declining public service delivery. Nowhere is this contradiction more stark than in our health system. We have seen a 50% blowout in the elective surgery waitlist since Labor took office, rising from 19,000 to more than 30,000. It is not just a statistic; it is tens of thousands of Western Australians stuck in limbo, living with pain, disability and uncertainty because this government cannot deliver the services they deserve. Ambulance ramping has skyrocketed by 600%. The Premier once called 1,000 hours of ramping a crisis. What then does he call nearly 25,000 hours? It is not a strain on the system. It is a system failure and it is a failure of this government's own choices. WA now has the lowest number of public hospital beds per capita in this country, and it is clearly not because we lack the money. It is because Labor has failed to invest in core capacity even as it pours money into vanity projects and political showpieces.

Then there is the state of child health. The Select Committee into Child Development Services laid bare what families already knew: the system is buckling. But instead of a real plan, the health minister responded with a one-page press release, with no budget, no detail, no urgency. As of March, over 10,600 children in Perth were waiting to see a paediatrician. The median wait time is 22.8 months. That is nearly two years in the most critical time of a child's development. The government cannot call itself a responsible government while allowing that to happen on its watch. A functional health system is not optional, it is not aspirational. It is the baseline responsibility of any competent government. The government could have delivered a long-term plan to build hospital capacity, tackle the workforce crisis and fund community health. Instead it delivers short-term patch jobs and headline-grabbing distractions.

It should be clear by now that budgets are not ledgers of numbers, they are a reflection of priorities. What this Labor government's budget says about its priorities in education is deeply concerning. In a state that boasts record revenue, our public education system is under growing pressure. Since 2019, teacher resignations have more than doubled. That is not by coincidence; it is the consequence of chronic underinvestment in frontline support and a growing culture of burnout and neglect. Teachers are now expected to manage escalating behavioural issues, complex student needs and increasing administrative burdens, often without the backing they need. Reports of verbal and physical abuse have risen, while student suspensions and exclusions remain at record highs. Classroom overcrowding is worsening. Across our largest primary schools, ovals are littered with transportables, and essential spaces like libraries and staffrooms are being converted into makeshift classrooms. That is not a picture of a world-class education system. It is a system at breaking point. It does not stop there.

In a move that beggars belief, this government tried to claw back nearly $40 million from school infrastructure improvement funds, money that parents and school communities expected would go towards essential upgrades, not be swept into consolidated revenue to plug holes or fund political vanity projects like a racetrack in Burswood while families are being asked to dig deeper, fundraising to fix toilets or buy shade cloths, just as they do in the Cottesloe electorate, because this government will not get the basics right. It is not a funding problem, it is a values problem. At a time of unprecedented wealth, the failure to invest in a safe, modern and supported education system is a betrayal of every student, every teacher and every family across Western Australia. When a government cannot even get education right, one of the most fundamental responsibilities of the state, it is clear the priorities are deeply out of touch. This budget fails our schools, our teachers and, ultimately, fails our children.

The Cook Labor government is flush with cash thanks to rivers of revenue from the federal coalition's GST deal, iron ore royalties thanks to China's demand for steel, and more tax receipts than ever before from transfer duties, payroll tax and stamp duty. WA cannot afford yet another year of reckless infrastructure overspending at the expense of housing supply, debt reduction and better service delivery. It is time to return to disciplined financial management before the opportunity is lost. In conclusion and under standing order 170, I would like to propose a reasoned amendment.

Amendment to motion

Ms Sandra Brewer: I move:

To delete "now" and insert after "time" —

after the Treasurer tables a plan to address construction capacity constraints caused by the government's poorly managed asset investment program pipeline that is pushing rents and house prices ever higher

Mr David Bolt (Murray–Wellington) (4:37 pm): I rise today in support of my colleague's amendment with regard to the budget putting pressure on housing supply. I want to speak plainly today about why housing is becoming such a battle for so many Western Australians. It is everywhere across the state. From Bunbury to Perth, from Karratha to Albany, we hear the same story. People are struggling, rents are soaring, building times have blown out and owning a home feels further away than ever before, especially for our young people, our young families and our essential workers who are trying to get ahead. I refer to workers like our teachers, our police and our nurses—particularly those trying to get a home in country areas. This is not a short-term problem. It is not a blip. It is not a blip at all. It is a system under serious pressure and, frankly, it is a system that is growing even worse. It is worse because of how this government is managing its own projects, and its priorities are all wrong.

I will talk about what is happening on the ground. The latest Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre report tells us that WA's population has jumped by 119,000 people in just two years. That is about 4.2%. It is a huge influx. On one hand, that shows confidence in our state, but without the homes for them to live in, that growth is putting real strain on families and the housing markets for those who are already here. Rents are going up, builders get overwhelmed and local buyers being priced out are hearing that people are buying a house sight unseen. They are calling up their agent from the Eastern States saying, "Western Australia is such a booming housing market, I'll just call up and order my house over the phoneline." They do not even have to see it. They do not even live in it. They are just calling up from over east.

The government says that it built 20,000 homes last year, but this, as we know, is well short of the government's own target. It is not even reaching its own target. We are missing the National Housing Accord target by around 4,000 homes a year. Let us be honest: that housing target is a conservative standard by any measure. This means we are going to need at least 6,000 to 7,000 more houses each year over the current run rate to even catch up. We need at least another 7,000 a year, not only the 20,000. In the rental market, we are short by about 7,700 homes. In the same period, barely 700 new rentals were added. Rents have gone up 67% since 2020. It does not really take an expert to see that we are going backwards. We know that there are now over 22,300 people on the social housing waitlist. This is due to years of neglect and lack of focus, with government priorities in the wrong areas. Rather than focusing on building homes and building to reduce the backlog, particularly in the area of social and affordable homes and housing in the regions, the government has just focused on its own projects. In the Salvation Army survey released recently for this month's Red Shield Appeal, 54% of Western Australians responded that they were in homes but could not afford to use heating in their home this winter, and 28% even had their electricity disconnected. That is Western Australia. That is a shame and we cannot allow that to continue.

Construction costs have gone up and interest rates have not helped—I know that. That is happening nationally as well. In WA, something else is going on. Fundamental issues are going on, something this government needs to own. Big ticket infrastructure projects like Metronet, the Bunbury Outer Ring Road and the government's own building projects continue to draw our labour, materials and engineering capacity away from the housing sector. They are soaking up the same trades and professionals that we need to get homes built. Our side is not saying we should stop building infrastructure. We are not saying that at all. We are saying that we need to be smarter about it. We need to sequence it properly. We also need to be transparent about that sequencing and scheduling.

I actually feel sorry for some of the other ministers. I really do feel sorry for them. The reason I feel sorry for many of the other ministers on the other side is they have not been able to get the money they need for their portfolios. I know they have been fighting for their portfolios. I know that the Minister for Health would love more money. She cannot get it. I know the Minister for Housing and Works would love to spend more money on social and affordable housing. But you know what is happening? When they go into the Expenditure Review Committee, they are told, "Sorry, you're outvoted." The person who has purse strings also has the purse strings and control of the transport portfolio. It is like putting the kid in the candy shop in charge. That is what has been happening. I felt sorry for many of the ministers on the other side. It is hard to believe, I know you, you feel that. They have been working hard but without getting the support and funding they need because every spare cent is being sucked up by the Treasurer's pet project. At the 2017 election, she committed to build Metronet no matter what happened. No matter who got in the way, she would roll straight over them. She would run the train straight over them. If you want money for health, you will not get it. If you want money for teaching and for schools, you will not get it because that is not the priority of this government at this point in time. That is the reality that we have seen. The good news is I think that we have almost built all the trains. We have to fix a few of them up because they are still not working very well. But we are going to fix those. Once we fix those and these stations are built, hopefully we will have some focus on some of those other areas. I think in the budget, we are starting to see some other ministers starting to get a little bit more energy and get some support for their portfolios, which is a good thing. I just think we just need to make sure that we do not compete with the private and community housing sectors. We just do not need to cut more ribbons before the next election. Right now, our builders are stretched thin.

Dr Tony Buti: Oh, really? Oh, right. Okay. So you do not want us to do any projects?

Mr David Bolt: I did not say that.

Several members interjected.

Mr David Bolt: Anyway, at least I have the Attorney General's attention; that is great.

Several members interjected.

Mr David Bolt: I hope you got your budget sorted before this election.

Build times in Western Australia are up to 15.6 months. That is at least six months more than in other locations. It is the slowest in the country. Productivity is the lowest and the rate of builder insolvencies is going up and cutting deep into the pipeline. It is not sustainable.

Let us talk about land supply. In Western Australia, we do not have a land shortage. We have a big state and plenty of land. We have a shortage of zoned, serviced land that is ready to go and ready for a house to be built on it. That is the real issue we face. It is not easily fixed. Developers are not sitting on their hands, however. They would love to develop the land, would they not? They would love to develop. They tell us the problem is that they cannot get it developed. They cannot get their approvals on time or the environmental tick-offs. If they do, they have a house that is in a fire zone, and they cannot get approvals because of the fire rating. They cannot get infrastructure connections, and too often, they are stuck dealing with delays from multiple government departments that just are not working together. They are not coordinated. One department will say one thing and another department will say another thing. The developers say, "Who do I believe? Where do I go to get some resolution here?" They just go in circles.

We have finished homes sitting for weeks and sometimes months. The reason people cannot move in is they cannot get a Western Power dome connected. It is a couple of hours work to connect some wires in the front of their house, but these people cannot get somebody to come out to connect the power. That means that the people waiting to move in—they have a rental somewhere and they are waiting to rent somewhere else—may have sold their house and are now sitting waiting to get in for weeks and sometimes months because they cannot get a Western Power connection. This is Western Australia in the 21st century. Why can we not connect some wires? I am sure I could do it. I used to be able to do it but they probably would not let me anymore. It is not just frustrating, it is costly, and it is completely avoidable. I know this is not just an isolated case. These delays are widespread and they are driving prices up across the board.

We need a more coordinated approach. We need the government to work together with the property industry and the builders. We need a proper housing infrastructure plan. We do not need just short-term sugar hits, one term funding announcements and scattergun spending. We need a real joined up and consistent strategy across the Water Corporation, Western Power, the Western Australian Planning Commission and our local governments. They need to work together and get the job done to get houses onto the market. We need leadership from this government, not just more money thrown at the problem. We have structural issues. You do not throw money at a problem if you do not understand the issues. We need clear timelines and accountability in a system in which housing is treated as the essential infrastructure it is and not just as an afterthought. We all love a ride on a train, but people cannot live on a train. They cannot sleep on a train, although some people sleep on a train because they cannot get a house. People cannot sleep on a train, normally. People are getting left behind because the government has its own pet projects. Hopefully, now, with the train stations built, we will be able to move on to putting money into the other areas that are important.

The construction sector is facing big challenges in productivity. We have to face that most of our builders are small operators and do not have the scale or resources to invest in new systems or training. They would love to, but they are too busy building houses. The amount of red tape they have to deal with is growing higher and thicker every year. Approvals are taking too long. Regulations and the building codes keep shifting the goal post. Overlapping rules between state and local levels make even simple projects feel impossible. I admit, yes, more TAFE places are great. We support that. More TAFE places for the builders and wet codes are good.

Modular incentives are good. I was out with a modular house company yesterday, and it is doing some great, innovative things. It would be great to scale up technology and incentives to help that and to provide funding or loans to help people buy modular houses. I think that is a positive step, but it is not enough. We need real reform, a modern planning system, standardised approvals and central, streamlined coordination to get some of these projects done and over the line. We need more efficient housing delivery. Western Power has mentioned that. Let us not pretend that this is not a serious bottleneck. Developers right across the state are telling us the same thing: delays in energising are holding up settlements and pushing up holding costs. Homes are built but people cannot move in. We have seen some announcements and new pathways, but the problem has not gone away. We need clear targets. We need to help by holding some of these organisations to account and measuring the targets properly. We need to staff organisations properly. We need the funding to staff Western Power. If it needs more resources to get the job done, why do we not make sure that it is staffed properly? Let us put the funding where the problem is. We need someone with authority to make sure things actually get fixed, not kicked down the road for a further year.

Lastly, let us talk about housing affordability because it is no longer just a low-income issue; many middle-income earners are facing the same challenges. Unaffordable housing is reported by 210,000 WA households, and that is up 91% since 2022. According to the latest data, over half of WA households now consider their housing to be unaffordable, and that number has nearly doubled in just two years. Rents are over $750 a week in many areas. First homebuyers are falling further behind. Older women, particularly those on fixed incomes, are facing real housing insecurity, with too few suitable homes and even fewer affordable rentals. This is pushing people to the margins, not just physically and emotionally but also economically and socially.

Therefore, what do we need to do? We need the government to take responsibility for the way its own programs and wrong priorities are disrupting the housing sector. We need better coordination between enabling infrastructure and housing delivery. We need transparent forward work schedules; a serious ongoing push on land servicing and zoning into the future, not just for this year; a proper fix for the power connectivity delays; and housing to be front and centre, not just tacked on or behind transport or other major infrastructure builds. We need to focus on construction worker productivity and capacity.

This is not just about shelter; it is about productivity and jobs. It is about keeping people in WA and giving them the opportunities to build their future here and to own their own homes. Rentals are good, but we want people to own their own homes. If people do not own their own homes, they are not participating in the growth as house prices continue to grow. Although we need more rentals, we need more and more people to be able to afford and get into their own homes. Until we take that goal seriously, and until we stop announcing and start delivering, Western Australians will keep bearing the cost. It is time for less spin and for more strategic solutions.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I commend my comments and the amendment to the house.

Mr Shane Love (Mid-West—Leader of the Nationals WA) (4:53 pm): I rise to speak to the recent amendment that has been moved by the shadow treasurer:

To delete "now" and insert after "time":

after the Treasurer tables a plan to address construction capacity constraints caused by the government's poorly managed asset investment program pipeline that is pushing rents and house prices ever higher

I read that out again because I think it encapsulates a lot of the problems we see with the current budget. We are discussing a very clear, well written and reasoned amendment. I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for the insights he just delivered. It was a great, well-researched piece, and it shows his great understanding. Coming from local government and industry, he knows and understands a lot of the pressures that we see right across the state. In the metropolitan area, in regional areas and in peri-urban areas, the problems are very real and are causing a great deal of cost overruns and delays in the delivery of the most urgent priority in the state at the moment—housing. We must be able to address the housing situation if we are going to be able to deliver the types of industrial growth and expansion that we hear being spoken about in our state.

From the budget briefing today, we know that there is something in the order of $149 million in the private investment pipeline at the moment. To deliver that, we will need places for people to live. If we are going to do all the things that this government has told us we are going to do—build poles and wires, put them up and have manufacturing in Western Australia—the population will have to significantly increase to enable that to occur. We are already at a point at which unemployment is not high. If we bring more people in, we will have to have somewhere to put them, but we do not really see that being a priority of this government, because of how it has addressed infrastructure spending until now and in the budget going forward. As the member said, putting a funding allocation in will not achieve anything in an already overheated economy, in which that allocation will not be adding the value wanted to address the problem. The government wants to continue to chew up the construction capacity of the state in, for instance, the delivery of the Metronet program, which we have seen blow out and cost well over $13 billion. Nothing that has been attempted in the transport portfolio in my recent memory has been delivered on time and on budget. Look at the Bunbury Outer Ring Road. That spiralling project cost at least double what it was initially said to cost. Its scope was also reduced to enable it to do that.

While the government is throwing that sort of money around—billions and billions of dollars in public infrastructure funding—it will push up costs and squeeze out the ability of other sectors to compete. It is a bit ironic that the Metronet program built train lines to suburbs that are yet to have houses built for the people needed to populate the trains. That is why we have seen articles about ghost trains running up the Yanchep line. I do not know whether members have had a look at a map of the city of Perth at the moment or flown up the north coast, but when you get past Joondalup there is a very skinny little development of blocks between the freeway and the beach. There simply is not the population at the moment to support or use those lines and make them affordable in any sense.

The development of the Ellenbrook line is great, but if you drive down the road from Ellenbrook—I think, Drumpellier Drive—

Ms Rita Saffioti interjected.

Mr Shane Love: Look, I am not that familiar with it, but I did drive down there. I was shocked to see train stations sitting out in cow paddocks! There will not be too many passengers on those trains until you actually build houses. How about we prioritise building some houses to get some people who could go and sit on the trains? The government has the train; it needs to get the houses.

The minister today talked about the Cockburn–Thornlie link. She built the train line, then she shutdown the Armadale line so people could not use the line for nearly two years. As far as planning goes, it is the most bizarre way to develop a train system. She built another train line, then she shutdown the other line while she put up elevated concrete structures so we can use that link. Now, she puts it back on again.

Hundreds of millions of dollars of capital and investment are just sitting there unused because the government did not actually plan out what it was going to do next. Honestly, if government members were in private business, they would be finding another job. It is just bizarre.

We know that the government has announced that it is finally going to make some commitments towards developing Government Regional Officers' Housing. We are aware of towns—I think there was an article today on the situation in Broome, but I am also aware of Denham and other communities—in which the government has basically soaked up all the private housing. I know that we need GROH. I am not arguing against GROH, but if the government is just renting houses in the community that would otherwise be available for private rental, it actually makes it very difficult for other people to rent a house. One reason is that an owner of a building who is looking for a tenant knows that if they can tenant the house through GROH, it will be a long-term lease, and they will not have to worry about tenant bonds and all those sorts of things that happen in the private market. In many country towns, most owners will not look at a private individual for a tenancy because they would much rather rent out the house to a large company or the government knowing that they will have a secure tenant who is part of a system that is paying a lot of money but charging the tenant a lot less. That subsidy actually drives up the rent costs for everybody else. I am not arguing against more GROH houses, but we need to construct those houses. We need those houses to be additional to the number of houses in those communities and not just soaking up the currently available housing stock.

The pipeline and planning referred to in this motion is very similar to some discussions I had in the budget reply last time around, whereby it seemed apparent to me that we needed to step back and reassess the priority order of some of the projects that the government was funding from the public purse to ensure that we were getting to those projects that were desperately needed to develop our housing stocks and health infrastructure. But, first and foremost, we cannot do anything if we do not have the people to do it, and we cannot get the people if we do not have the houses to put them in, so there is obviously a need for a comprehensive plan to further develop housing in the state. We know that for years this government sat in a situation in which there was less social housing in Western Australia than there was when it first came in. The government pulled down Brownlie Towers, and what a great thing that was. What did it build instead? What has happened out there? Brownlie Towers was a problem because it lumped together a lot of people who were in social housing, and the government wanted to spread them all around the community. That is what we heard the Minister for Housing and Works say, yet what happened in Inglewood, where the government spot bought some apartments and stuck them all down for social housing? We know the problems that has caused.

The government seems not to understand that there is a need to properly plan and have an orderly process to ensure that when government spends, it is spending in the areas in which it is needed most, not in the areas that look to the public to be a vanity project. I am sorry that we keep hearing about the $217 million racetrack, because people in the community are saying that they do not think it is a priority. It is not often that people in the community come up and talk to us about budget items, but they say to me, "How come we can't have this, yet in Perth they are getting a $217 million racetrack? How come we cannot have housing or get our blocks developed, yet in Perth they have money to spend on a racetrack?" It is apparent to people that the government's priorities need to change to focus on what they need. The government said that infrastructure is not sexy, but I think the government prioritises building infrastructure that it thinks looks politically sexy. That is why we have the Metronet trains. I remember going to the Claremont Showground this year and there was a big pavilion with one of those little train sets. Was that a full-size train or was it a mock-up? There was a train carriage of some sort. I did not go in, but I sent one of my staff members to have a bit of a look, and it seemed to me that it must have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up that display there. It must have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for marketing. Honestly, to me, it seems that the government is focusing on what looks good rather than what is actually delivering for the people of Western Australia. Sometimes infrastructure is not that sexy. Keeping the water pipes healthy is probably one of the least sexy topics in infrastructure. A week or so ago, the shadow Minister for Water was dealing with a big sewage situation.

Mr Peter Rundle: In Beaconsfield.

Mr Shane Love: In Beaconsfield, under this government's watch. It does not seem to be able to keep the basics going.

Several members interjected.

Mr Shane Love: It does not seem to be able to do the basics. I spoke earlier about my communities that do not expect the power to be on anymore because they have got so used to the power not being on that they just accept that they are living in some sort of nation in which their government provides Third World infrastructure, yet we see a racetrack in Burswood being promoted costing $217 million. People are noticing it and they are not happy. I think, for the government's own good, it would be really sensible to step back, listen to what the shadow Treasurer has put forward here, develop a plan that actually addresses our capacity constraints and then go about developing public infrastructure. We are not saying that investment or growth in public infrastructure is a bad thing, but the government has to actually plan for it, and it has failed to do so.

Ms Rita Saffioti (West Swan—Deputy Premier) (5:06 pm): I rise to speak against this amendment.

A member interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: Pardon? There is a plan; it is called the budget, and we presented it. Look, I think today more than any day I have experienced for a while, we have seen the true colours of the Liberal and National Parties. The opposition believes there is no-one living in the corridor to Ellenbrook and that it is just paddocks.

Mr Shane Love interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: That is what we heard. We have the member talking yet again, interjecting on me, saying that, basically, there is no-one living in the Ellenbrook or Yanchep corridors, and also a member who seems to want our infrastructure to be population based. That is funny from the National Party, which believes that we should be spending on infrastructure per head of population. Is that what members opposite are asking? That is what it seems they want to say. They want to spend only where there is population. That is an odd thing I have heard from the National Party: it only wants to spend on population. It wants to spend an equivalent per capita across the state. Is that what it wants us to do? It sounds like it.

We saw again today the complete dismissal and ignorance of people living in the suburbs by the Leader of the National Party, the Leader of the Liberal Party and the shadow Treasurer. They are saying that there is no-one living in the corridors to Ellenbrook. I will do this to the camera, because I might actually splice this. The Liberal and National Parties have said that there is no-one living in the suburbs in Ellenbrook and that there are empty paddocks there. They have said there is no-one living in the suburbs leading to Yanchep. That is what we heard today. The member for Mandurah and many others may remember that when we built the Mandurah rail line, they said the same thing. Why build a rail line to Mandurah? I remember the article—"It's empty paddocks." That is what was said when we wanted to build a rail line to Mandurah.

Mr Shane Love: Why don't you build some houses first?

Several members interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: Honestly, I cannot even digest what he is saying. He said to build houses with no infrastructure. I do not think the member understands any concept of planning—or maybe he does because that is what he did. He actually delivered tens of thousands of houses in Ellenbrook with no infrastructure.

Mr Shane Love: What's the Tonkin Highway extension, minister?

Ms Rita Saffioti: I delivered that.

Mr Shane Love interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I will go through it.

Mr Shane Love: Come on! You can't claim you delivered it!

The Acting Speaker: Member!

Ms Rita Saffioti: When we won government, do members know what Ellenbrook was serviced by? It was serviced by a one-lane single carriageway called Drumpellier Drive—that was it. Members may recall it was one the worst morning congestion spots across entire suburbs. It was always Drumpellier Drive. Actually, it used to be Lord Street and was renamed Drumpellier Drive. Every day, the worst congestion was on Lord Street. It would take people 15 to 20 minutes to get out of Ellenbrook.

Mr Shane Love: That is why we built the Tonkin Highway extension.

Ms Rita Saffioti: All they delivered was a one-lane—

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West!

Ms Rita Saffioti: All they delivered was a single carriageway to Ellenbrook. Member, when I was elected, I delivered NorthLink stages 2 and 3.

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West, you were heard in silence, please.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I delivered NorthLink stage 2—

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West!

Ms Rita Saffioti: The member for Mid-West does not even know where Ellenbrook is because he got the roads wrong as to what services Ellenbrook. But servicing Ellenbrook—

Mr Shane Love: I don't live in the metropolitan area.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West!

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West, I call you for the first time.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I do not understand why the Leader of the National Party stands up and embarrasses everybody, then sits down and tries to correct the record of everything he just said.

Mr David Michael: He had a bad weekend.

Ms Rita Saffioti: He had a bad weekend. I do not know what happened. He stands up and says, "I don't know— you shouldn't build any infrastructure until all the houses are there." How are people going to get out of their suburb? I remember watching an SBS documentary about an area in the northeast corridor of Melbourne, equivalent to my electorate of West Swan, where they have delivered a lot of housing without the infrastructure. It takes 45 minutes for a family to take their kids to school for a four or five kilometre drive. There are no bus services, there is definitely no rail line and they do not have the roads. When I was elected, people in Ellenbrook had been left stranded by members of the previous government. They had been left stranded by the Liberal and National Party—twice. They promised a rail line, but of course they broke their promise. They left a single carriageway to service tens of thousands of people. That is what they did. I delivered NorthLink stage 2 and 3. One thing the Liberal–Nationals did not do was ever plan to deliver what we call the Tonkin Gap Project. There was the Gateway WA Project and NorthLink, but they never looked at or had any funding to fix the Tonkin gap. It had NorthLink and then it had Gateway but then it did not—

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Minister, are you taking an interjection?

Ms Rita Saffioti: No.

The Acting Speaker: Can you take your seat, please, minister.

Ms Rita Saffioti: Sure.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West, I have called you once. If you could let the minister finish her response in silence, that would be appreciated, just as you were given that courtesy.

Ms Rita Saffioti: The National Party wants to reopen it. Member for Mount Lawley and member for Maylands, the opposition today wants to reopen the Guildford Road widening plan. That is what he just said. That plan was going to impact hundreds of households across the entire corridor. It was basically going to take away the front verges and front verandahs of hundreds of households. The idea that that is an alternative to the Tonkin Highway extension is, again, stupid. It is just stupid. They did Gateway and then they planned NorthLink but they did not plan the Tonkin gap. We have come in and done the Tonkin gap so that it actually all works. There is no choke point anymore going from north to south and south to north. That is what we did.

As for this whole concept of delivering housing without infrastructure, again, I do not know what planet they are on. We have delivered things like the Romeo Road–Mitchell Freeway extension. Do members know why? It is because that helps support more housing in the north west corridor. I was told today that there are 280 sales per week in the Alkimos–Yanchep corridor. People are moving into that corridor at a rate of knots. That is because of the infrastructure. They can do it in an affordable way because the infrastructure was there from day one. Again, the Liberal and National Parties today said that there are not enough people living in the Yanchep and Ellenbrook corridors to justify a rail line.

Mr Shane Love interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: That is absolutely incredible. They have learnt nothing.

Mr Shane Love interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I am being interrupted by the Leader of the National Party. However, they said today that they believe that there are not enough people living in the corridor to justify a rail line. That is what they have said.

Several members interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: Member for Butler, I heard it. They come in here and say, "Where's your plan?" The plan? I do not know. Go look at the tens of thousands of houses being delivered next to our Metronet lines. Go to Byford. Today, the shadow Treasurer said Byford is just one train station.

Mr David Michael: Do any other trains go through there?

Ms Rita Saffioti: Just one train station. That station is going to service the tens of thousands of new homes being built in Byford and to the east in Mundijong. Again, the shadow Treasurer is saying that we should not be building a rail station in Byford. I cannot believe that.

Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I did not interject on the other members.

Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member, please.

Ms Rita Saffioti: The shadow Treasurer came in and said, "Where's your plan for housing?" We are delivering infrastructure in the suburbs and around the state to support housing and they are saying, "Where's your plan?" The plan is the roads and rail lines that we are delivering, which are opening up estates at a rate of knots. Look at the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, the Wilman Wadandi Highway. Again, it was criticised by the National and Liberal Parties. What is that road doing? I will tell members what it is doing. It is creating new urban opportunities throughout Bunbury and the outer suburbs. Without that highway, there would be congestion and choking points throughout Bunbury. As we know, there is enormous suburban growth happening around the south of Mandurah but also Bunbury. The Bunbury Outer Ring Road, the Wilman Wadandi Highway, is allowing more opportunities. Developers are rushing in because of the infrastructure we supported. The Albany ring-road is about supporting new commercial and residential development. Infrastructure is being delivered to support new housing.

It is no shock that the Liberal and National Parties do not understand that infrastructure is needed to support housing. They left Ellenbrook residents stranded for over a decade—that is what they did. They have this idea of coming in and saying, "Where's your plan?" I tell them it is our infrastructure program. I am sure a lot of people will read this speech—I will make sure that they do—and they will be shocked. Then the opposition talks about how disgusted it is with all the transport infrastructure over the next four years. The Tonkin Highway extension is one of those. It is a really big-ticket item. Do members know what that is going to facilitate? It is going to facilitate housing and new commercial developments because it will basically link to the South Western Highway and further into Muchea. It will be incredible. It will support thousands of new homes. Developers are out there now ready and waiting for that Tonkin Highway extension so that they can support new homes. They are waiting for that Tonkin Highway extension because it will take a lot of pressure off South Western Highway. Then we will see further developments in Mundijong because there is a lot of demand there and in Oakford, around the entire corridor. That is what the Tonkin Highway extension is for. The opposition is saying that the 28% of the asset investment program over the next four years is too high for transport infrastructure.

There is not much Metronet left in those forward estimates, so which roads does the opposition not support? Obviously, the opposition does not support the Tonkin Highway extension.

Mr David Michael: Should put it on a flyer!

Ms Rita Saffioti: Yes. I think I will put on a flyer!

The opposition obviously does not support grade separated interchanges or the Wanneroo Road corridor works. That is the infrastructure across the forward estimates. This whole idea of not linking transport infrastructure with housing shows why the opposition failed as a government. When we came to government, we spent on making sure we could fix major congestion, with projects like NorthLink stages 2 and 3, the Tonkin Gap project, the freeway extension to Romeo Road and interchanges on Wanneroo Road with Ocean Reef and Joondalup Road. Going down south, we are investing with the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and many of those hotspots around the area. Over the last two elections over $34 million has been committed just to local roads in Serpentine–Jarrahdale. There is the level crossing removal at Denny Avenue. Again, that has been the worst black spot for many, many years. I know that the federal Liberal Party wanted it done but the state Liberal Party refused to ever partner with it. I remember being told that the federal Liberal Party tried to bring the then transport minister to Kelmscott to look at it and he refused. We got there and we have done the Denny Avenue level crossing. For a number of years that 250-metre stretch of road was rated the riskiest road. That project is delivered. The construction of the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge underway at the moment plus all the rail infrastructure. As I said, it is crazy that the opposition does not understand the need to deliver infrastructure for housing. The Leader of the Nationals WA—

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West!

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West, members to my left, please.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I do not know whether the Leader of the Nationals WA actually travels in these corridors; I do not think he does. I think he is far too arrogant to visit the suburbs of Perth.

Our approvals and completion records are hitting record levels.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Please, minister.

Ms Rita Saffioti: You would not think that these guys just got smashed at an election three months ago. The arrogance is amazing. As I said, what I love about it is that nothing has changed. The opposition wants to do it again because it keeps dissing the people of the suburbs, disregarding them. After all that has been said about Ellenbrook, with tens of thousands of people living there, and the Leader of the National Party says there are still cow paddocks—he did not say "cow"—

Mr Basil Zempilas: You were dissing the people of Vic Park, so no worries whatsoever.

Ms Rita Saffioti: He said "still paddocks".

We are delivering a massive seven-kilometre-long park, which the people of Vic Park are very excited about, plus the rail stations that the member just criticised. He said the "concrete monstrosities of Vic Park". I do not know whether the member has visited the brand new Vic Park station, but it is a huge benefit. There will be a seven-kilometre-long park, which is an additional community amenity all through Vic Park. That is what we are delivering. To quote a good Warner Brothers character, the facts are the facts. The opposition does not want to listen to the facts, but building approvals and completions are up. We are leading the nation.

The NAB chief economist said that the state most likely to achieve its housing targets is WA. As I said, building approvals and completions have had their best numbers for seven years. I will go through it. Building approvals are up by 45%, which is the strongest in the nation. Housing completions rose by 18%, which is the highest in seven years. The construction workforce is at record highs. I do not know what planet the opposition was on in relation to the construction workforce, but when it was in government it increased TAFE fees by 500%. There were pretty much no apprentices in housing construction. We have fee-free TAFE. We have worked with industry to have the group training organisation wage subsidy. Can I seek an extension?

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members!

Ms Rita Saffioti: There have been 1,100 new apprenticeship subsidies, which is a record level in the construction workforce. A total of 46,000 Western Australians got fee-free TAFE last year. There is the Build a Life in WA program. We have a record of fee-free TAFE. Across all indicators, we are beating all targets when it comes to training Western Australians.

The Liberal–National government left young Western Australians on the scrap heap. It increased fees again and again, and did not care that it was not training Western Australians. We are training them like never before. Training is everywhere. As a result, what are the jobs numbers? There have been 367,000 new jobs. As I said, we are working with industry to deliver new housing. I turn to infrastructure. We have a $400 million fund, with $118 million allocated in this budget to connect water and electricity infrastructure to new homes.

As I said, nothing has changed in this house, which I am pretty pleased about. Again, the opposition has demonstrated a complete reluctance to accept that delivering infrastructure is good for housing, to accept that it destroyed the TAFE sector or that we are working with industry to deliver new housing. As I said, the performance today demonstrates the arrogance of that side of politics, which it has demonstrated time and time again. I have to say it is actually worse. The arrogance—

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members!

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members on the left, please.

Ms Rita Saffioti: I talk about the arrogance on the other side. Like I said, I love that arrogance.

Mr Shane Love interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Mid-West, I call you for the second time.

Ms Rita Saffioti: At least the member acknowledges he has a mirror!

Even the Leader of the National Party accepts that the member for Central Wheatbelt carries his own mirror with him! I know there is a bit of a battle on that side about who is using a mirror on any given day!

The opposition has learnt nothing. It does not care about the suburbs, the regions or infrastructure. Its highlight in government was Perth City Link. I mean, honestly, the highlight of eight years of government was the Perth City Link. The opposition should be embarrassed if that was its highlight after eight years. We are transforming the entire state. There is the Wilman Wadandi Highway, the Albany ring-road and regional road spending across the whole state. There is the Ellenbrook rail line, the Yanchep rail line, the Byford rail line and the Thornlie–Cockburn Link.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members!

Ms Rita Saffioti: I could just keep going!

Division

Amendment put and a division taken, the Acting Speaker (Mr Ron Sao) casting his vote with the noes, with the following result:

Ayes (12)Noes (31)

Question thus negatived.

Second reading

Ms Jodie Hanns (Collie–Preston—Parliamentary Secretary) (5:32 pm): I rise to make a short contribution on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025.

I start by referring to the member for Cottesloe and saying, "Wow." I have sat through hours and hours of debate this afternoon and I had to channel Taylor Swift and think "Shake It Off", because I want to talk about all the fantastic things that this government and the Treasurer are delivering through the state budget. In starting my contribution, I am torn between whether I feel like the opposition bench is full of Chicken Littles who are saying that the sky is falling or whether we have a bench full of Eeyores who are saying, "It could be worse; I am not sure how, but it could be." I really stand to say that there are some amazing things in this budget and I am pleased to be able to take the time to go through some of the highlights from my perspective. I want to make sure that I swing the narrative to all the amazing things that this government is doing for the state of Western Australia and what we are doing to set this state up for a prosperous future for decades to come. I will encompass some of the key initiatives in my contribution today.

Firstly, I want to say thank you to the Treasurer and her support team for what I know has been months and months of work and also to the ministers and their staff for putting together really important initiatives to be included in this budget.

I want to highlight that a key component of the budget is investing in the infrastructure that we need in Western Australia to create jobs and opportunities for decades to come. This budget positions us to do exactly that. I want to look at examples around the state in which the state government is not only investing but also being backed by private sector investment alongside the government investment to deliver on our future in Western Australia. One of the key things I want to talk about is investing in training to employ West Aussies in diversified industries in the jobs of the future and the jobs of today and in the jobs that we create as a result of the initiatives that are funded under this budget. It is incredibly important and incredibly exciting to highlight some of those things.

I want to start as the government's first speaker to highlight the key budget highlights. I know that a lot of members will talk about support for WA families and about housing, health and mental health in particular, and education and training. I want to touch a little bit on economic growth. The Treasurer spoke today about the fact that we have the strongest rate of annual domestic economic growth in the country. In fact, we are a shining light across the world in terms of top performing economies. We are creating jobs. In fact, the figures on job creation by this government had to be revised on budget day because we had added another 27,000 jobs, bringing the total number to 367,000 jobs created by this government since 2017—the highest number of jobs created in our state's history.

How did we do that? We have delivered surpluses over the last seven years. When a government is in surplus, it means that it can fund initiatives that do the work that the government is setting itself up to deliver for all Western Australians into the future. I want to highlight the Made in WA policy, which is incredibly important in an international market in which things have been pretty insecure. I imagine that I could draw the line and say that it has been the case since the COVID pandemic, but certainly the growing uncertainty around supply chains means that it has never been more important to be able to manufacture things locally in Western Australia. We have a plan to do that through building household batteries, ferries, electric buses and more in WA.

In terms of the spend on infrastructure under the Made in WA initiative, it is really important that we invest in major economic infrastructure, such as strategic industrial areas to grow the number of people who will ultimately get employment in those industrial areas. It is incredibly important that Western Australia can access the supply chains through our major ports. The transmission network and the poles and wires that will be required to build the electrical infrastructure that we have planned and budgeted for to deliver the Made in WA package is also incredibly important.

I have touched on infrastructure, but I want to highlight the significant $38 billion worth of infrastructure in the pipeline to lay the foundations for the future of Western Australia. That investment in infrastructure includes hospitals, schools, community facilities, and poles, wires and pipes. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Western Australia to lock in our future as the powerhouse of the nation. I am so excited and pleased that this budget allows us to do that and many other things.

I also want to highlight a couple of local opportunities that will be provided through this budget. Part of what I am really excited about is the investment in regional opportunities through the budget. The first thing I want to talk about is something that was really popular—"very supported" is probably a better term—at the budget lunch that I attended with the Premier and Minister Punch. When the Premier talked to the full house of business leaders and community leaders who had come along to listen to our plan for Western Australia in this state budget, the initiative in the budget that really resonated with people was redeveloping the Western Australia Police Academy accommodation block for $14.3 million. It is a relatively small spend in the overall budget, but once the narrative around that was explained to the people who were at that lunch, it was incredibly powerful. I will just take a little bit of time to talk about that now.

The Western Australia Police Academy accommodation block will be used to provide free accommodation to regional recruits to encourage people living in regional areas to become police officers. I used to have a job as a deputy principal and teacher. I have talked about that at length previously, and part of that role was to advise young people about future careers. We were, importantly, trying to encourage regional kids to aspire to be anything that they wanted to be, but the reality is that sometimes there are roadblocks to those opportunities for people in regional and remote Western Australia, and often it is accommodation and the availability of accommodation when a young person moves from the regions to study. Sometimes it is that. Sometimes it is also the fact that our families are trying to run two households, one in their hometown and the other supporting their young person who has moved to another area of the state to study. In this instance, what resonated so much with the people at the budget lunch around this police academy accommodation initiative is that they can see the opportunities for young people, or mature people, to decide that they want to join the police force, an incredibly important and rewarding career pathway, come up, train in Perth for the six months that they are at the academy and stay for free, which removes the barrier around making a decision about whether they can afford to do that. But really importantly, they would then be able to come back and police in their home district once they graduate out of the academy. It means that those people have the support networks they need whilst they are learning to become a newly qualified police officer. They will have family and friendships around.

I feel really passionate about this because my son has just signed up to be a police officer. He has filled out the application forms and we are waiting to go through the process. Hopefully, he will get accepted. In talking to him about why he was so passionate about doing policing, he said, "I want to come back to live in Collie and I know I'm going to have to transfer around, but my passion is living in regional WA". He also said that he is likely to travel around regional WA and do the incredibly important work of community policing. The reason he wants to tap into that opportunity presented through this budget is that he essentially wants to be able to come back to his home district, which would be in the South West. That would allow him to maintain the friendship network that I talked about. He also said for the first time that he really wanted to be able to hang out with his mates and play country footy and things like that. That is part of the lifestyle of growing up in regional WA. We often have a drain of skills to Perth. People go to Perth and study and often those skills and occupations do not flow back to regional Western Australia. This is a really outstanding initiative to try to correct that issue when we are talking about regional policing.

One of the key budget items for me in my electorate of Collie–Preston is around the Bunbury Regional Hospital expansion. This budget outlined an uplift of $20.3 million for Bunbury Regional Hospital, which will bring the total amount being spent at Bunbury Regional Hospital to $471.5 million. This will make it the largest regional hospital in Western Australia. The major capacity expansion in that hospital will also see it become our first regional teaching, training and research centre within the clinical healthcare system. It is incredibly important. The Bunbury hospital will see significant expansion in capacity and delivering additional medical and intensive care beds and an expanded emergency department, increased operating theatre capacity as well as new and expanded maternity, birthing and neonatal services. That is incredibly important, because the private hospital in Bunbury last year decided it was not taking any maternity patients so all those maternity patients have now had to go into the care of Bunbury Regional Hospital. That expansion will be incredibly welcomed for people in the South West who are looking to have their babies close to home.

I want to also talk about the fact that the federal government previously funded urgent care clinics. We have an urgent care clinic in the South West in my electorate in Eton. I want to talk about a system-wide approach to health care and how when state and federal governments work collaboratively, they can deliver outcomes across the healthcare system. Firstly, the urgent care clinic in Eton is situated in a shopping centre. It is a really interesting model. When I was talking to a constituent a couple of weeks ago, I used the example that I can now actually get my husband to go to the doctor, because I can get him to a shopping centre and it is also convenient for him to make an appointment and go to the doctors. But in this particular case, this is also a private clinic, which we can make appointments for as a family. People who might normally go to the emergency department at the hospital can be seen at the urgent care clinic and be assessed as to whether the ED is the most appropriate place for care for that person. If it is, they are cared for, set up, a St John Ambulance transfers them over to the ED and by all accounts from the local paramedics, it has been explained to me that when they get to the hospital, admission is much quicker because all that pre-care has been done at the urgent care clinic. Those initiatives in combination with our investments from state government are certainly making huge gains in the healthcare system across the South West.

I also want to very quickly touch on the funding for the Ngala residential parenting service that received an amount in this state budget. When I had my first child, my daughter, I had the pleasure of calling that now young woman "thing". It is terribly awful to think back and say that, but this "thing" that I brought home from hospital slept for 45 minutes, day and night. It did not matter whether I would pace the house for 45 minutes; when I put her into the cot she would immediately wake up, so I was literally on a 45-minute awake and sleep cycle for nearly 18 months. Ngala saved my sanity and I will forever be grateful for the support from Ngala parenting centre. I believe that the service it does for the mental health and support of new parents, including dads as well as mums, cannot be more highly praised. As a previous beneficiary of Ngala's services, I am really pleased to see investment in it.

I will leave my contribution there. I know lots of other people want to speak. I will save election commitments—certainly a focus on this budget has been on funding and delivering election commitments—and I have lots, which I will obviously talk about at any given opportunity later on in the next four years. I commend the bill to the house.

Mr Peter Rundle (Roe) (5:48 pm): I, too, rise to give my contribution today on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025. I want to start by saying that this is the government of wrong priorities. This is the budget of wrong priorities. When I go back to last year's budget, I remember standing here and talking about the assault on the regions. The assault on the regions continues and continued up to the last election. That is what we saw. We saw the likes of the members for Albany and Geraldton, two high-quality members, get elected because of this government's assault on the regions. I am still in amazement when I look at the state budget, with $60 million for the Albany Health Campus for more beds and what have we got? It has $1 million for planning. What we see in this budget is very little commitment to many projects. Of course I will talk about Esperance Senior High School as I get on in my contribution but there is nothing in the forward estimates for planning. That is probably my main disappointment. This is a government and a budget of wrong priorities. I want to thank the shadow Treasurer for her contribution today because it outlined issues that many of us are concerned about.

Going back to my contribution to last year's budget, we were heading towards a $40 billion debt by 2027. Now looking at the forward estimates, lo and behold it is $42 billion by 2028. Are we looking at $50 billion by the next election in 2029? In 2015, when in opposition, this Treasurer said of the then government, when debt was at $31 billion:

… you may feed its 'debt monster' a string of public assets, but the debt will be left to face future generations.

Here we are and debt will be $42 billion in 2028 and Metronet is $15 billion and rising, which is $12 billion over budget. These are the concerns for those of us out in the regions and beyond.

I want to talk about what happens in farming when, sometimes, the third generation sells a farm. This is the third generation of the government—the one that sells the farm. This is the generation of political power that delivers the project for the enjoyment of this government, not for the enjoyment of the community. It is a project that the Leader of the Opposition and I have spoken about several times, the $217 million Burswood racetrack. I have been down there. It is good to see the member for Victoria Park in here as well while we talk about the racetrack. I went down to the public consultation. The poor old member for Landsdale was standing at the tent while security officers were removing people who were opposed to the project. They were moving people on because they had a couple of posters opposing the project. The poor old member for Landsdale had to stand out there and fly the flag for this government and try to restrict the number of yellow stickers being put on the notice boards. I can assure members that the majority of those stickers—probably 80 to 90%—were against the project. As I said, this is the government of wrong priorities and people have had enough, whether it is Victoria Park, East Perth or Burswood towers, the feedback is the same. I notice it is deathly quiet among government members here in the chamber because I suspect probably 90% of those members also oppose it. It is unfortunate.

Several members interjected.

Mr Peter Rundle: It is funny how Burswood racetrack is going to have noise and dust; it is going to be great! There is going to be noise and dust, and cars and a racetrack. What is it called now? It is the Perth sporting and cultural precinct. That is a disappointment. This government decides on the project and then tries to twist the narrative to suit its ideas. It is not dissimilar to the Perth ferry scenario. I am very happy to use the Swan River. I agree with ferries. I do not agree when this government and this minister, and whoever else has been involved, decides that it is going to plonk a ferry terminal in a certain place in Matilda Bay, and then it tries to twist everything else to suit its narrative. That is what I do not agree with. I look forward to the estimates hearings. I look forward to asking questions about the ferry terminals. Did the government take into account the rowing community, disabled sailing and the many other users of Matilda Bay? I have nothing against the ferry. It will be interesting because the Applecross to Nedlands ferry was used back in the mid-1990s but then what happened? A couple of the councils on either side of the terminal made the parking scenario very difficult, so it got closed down. I am curious what this government is going to do about that. We look forward to estimates and talking about some of these issues.

Of course we know the Rugby team situation, one of the Premier's pet subjects. As the shadow Treasurer mentioned, we see the $65-odd million in the budget for that. I guess that the other sports around the place looking for funding might be slightly disenchanted with the fact that the Premier's pet sport gets such a large part of the budget.

I also want to talk about the disturbing comment from Minister McGurk on VacSwim lessons. I think the Leader of the Opposition covered it pretty well earlier on. We know that the former Minister for Education, the member for Armadale, was very strong on VacSwim—very supportive. The government brought in free entry as an important part of the VacSwim announcement last year. It has pulled the rug out from under those families. The comment that the beach is free to all is a disgrace. The people of Gnowangerup, Hyden and Wickepin in my electorate are hundreds of kilometres away from the beach. This government has pulled the rug out on free entry to swimming pools, so members can understand why people are disenchanted. I will talk about KidSport in a moment.

Another issue that got me was $14 million of funding for the women's health centres. I do not know what has happened. I do not know whether it has just been overlooked or what has happened. In an article prior to the election, there was a photograph of the Premier, with the member for Bicton standing behind him proudly. He said that the government understood how important that funding was. I quote:

We want more WA women to have access to world class health services, making sure that they can continue to receive the care they need, whether it's clinical counselling or wellness services.

Only at WA Labor Government will do what's right for women, by investing in crucial healthcare.

That is gone. That $14 million has disappeared, so that is a real disappointment to the women of Western Australia.

I think one of the most important people in Western Australia, quite frankly, is our Auditor General, who is doing a fantastic job. I just want to highlight some of the issues that the Auditor General has been talking about in relation to transparency in her report, 2025 Transparency Report—Major IT Projects. Page 18 of the report states:

Case study 1: Budget papers do not provide full and complete project cost information

Page 19 of the report states:

Case study 2: Projects can be difficult to track from year to year in the Budget papers due to changes in name and composition

In her recommendations, the Auditor General said:

improve visibility of cost and time status of major IT projects through regular reporting to Parliament and the public on the cost, time and status of major IT projects

The comment from the Department of Treasury in response to the recommendation is truly mystifying and somewhat disturbing. It says:

Treasury encourages agencies to make major project cost and time estimates transparent through their annual reports …

Transparency is not a policy; it is a suggestion from Treasury. Once again, I congratulate the Auditor General on her good work in highlighting some of these transparency issues.

We heard Minister Carey talking about the fact that the government is laser focused and is throwing everything at the housing problem—

Mr Shane Love: Pulling all the levers.

Mr Peter Rundle: It is pulling on the levers and is laser focused. If we have heard it once, we have heard it 10 times here in question time. The government is forgetting about housing in regional areas, although I will credit the government because there was a release of land in Gnowangerup in my electorate recently. However, then we have a project like the Esperance housing project in which the local government has put up the land right next door to its headquarters to build 20 accommodation units and provided $1.5 million but the housing minister and this government do not want a bar of it. That is disappointing when I hear the minister say that the government is laser focused and is pulling every lever. It is not happening.

Briefly, on Royalties for Regions, once again we have seen this government use Royalties for Regions to fund items that should come from consolidated revenue. It spent $360-odd million on orange school buses. That is hard to believe. It spent it on Water Corporation subsidies, and the list goes on. Luckily, it is in legislation, Leader of the Nationals WA, that Royalties for Regions still exists. However, as has been the pattern over the last few years, there has been cost shifting of items that should be part of consolidated spending.

I want to comment on my concerns about agriculture, which has been largely ignored in this state budget. It is concerning when our second-largest export industry in Western Australia, which is agriculture, is largely ignored. I am sure that the member for Central Wheatbelt will outline his points on that when the time comes. Certainly the polyphagous shot-hole borer is something I am very concerned about, just from my farming background. I am also concerned about the attitude this government has taken towards it. It has put up the white flag. There is some money in the budget for it. It has put up the white flag and also gagged a lot of our local governments. I find that hard to believe. I asked the Premier here a few weeks ago why he was gagging local governments, and he did not have much idea about that. It is very concerning when our local governments are being gagged. I understand that there are other potential solutions, and this government and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development need to look at all the options to hold off the shot-hole borer.

We saw the announcement last year of the new DPIRD headquarters at Murdoch and, lo and behold, the rug has been pulled out from that one, Leader of the Nationals. We are now seeing the department of agriculture and food and DPIRD people spread-eagled around the city in rental accommodation. I am very concerned about their long-term future. That needs to be addressed.

If I can, I want to move on to some items I am concerned about in the electorate of Roe. The government is delivering quite a few federal projects. We heard today about the federal power credit. The government has taken credit for that. We have seen the Vision for the Mid-West, Central Wheatbelt and Roe.

(Member's time extended.)

Mr Peter Rundle: We have seen $200 million given to the agricultural supply chain improvement program for freight rail upgrades. What the government does not say is that $160 million of it is federal money and $40 million is state government money. The government is claiming federal money again for the power credits, and the list goes on. Another is the federal government's $139 million for the assistance package on banning the live export of sheep. The federal government has also paid this government an additional $2 million to implement the funding. The Premier and his agriculture minister did not fire a shot when it came to saving the sheep industry, but now the state government is getting paid to put people out of business and to administer part of the transition payment that no-one wants. That is frustrating. I have spoken about the critical mass of the sheep flock.

When members go out to the regions, they will see a quite concerning number of trees getting knocked over. Basically, a lot of people have given up on the livestock industry. They have given up on growing sheep and have said, "Rightio; we're going to bring in our big cropping equipment. We're knocking out any tree and getting them out the way so that the guidance and equipment can go straight up and down." It was quite disturbing when I was driving through some areas the other week to see the number of trees that are getting knocked over. It is ironic that the Labor government is banning forestry and at the same time banning the live sheep export industry, which has resulted in trees getting taken out.

There are a few issues in the electorate of Roe, as I have said. We saw a few stray ministers head out into the regions last week. It was good to see some of them out there. As I said earlier, we have had the likes of the members for Albany, Geraldton, Warren–Blackwood and Central Wheatbelt come into the mix. It is great that they will now be able to fly the flag for their regions. We have been talking about some of these issues for years. I am glad that the Minister for Health is here because, like me, she was born at Katanning Hospital. When I advocate for the CT scanner at Katanning Hospital, I will be looking for strong support from the health minister. That is very important to the community. It is too far to travel between the regional hospitals and is something that is needed. I saw in the Vision for the Mid-West, Central Wheatbelt and Roe talk of telehealth visit rotations, which is good, but a CT scanner needs to go with it to assess patients in a timely manner. That is very important to me.

We saw planning money given to Esperance Senior High School and we have seen that bumped out for another year with a bit more planning money. That is disappointing. I obviously support the redevelopment of older schools, whether they are metro or regional. We have the likes of Como Secondary College that needs redevelopment. The Leader of the Opposition knows all about not only the new inner-city primary school, but also Highgate Primary School, which is under a lot of pressure because of its numbers. Esperance Senior High School was built in the 1960s. Its students, families and teachers deserve a redevelopment, just as those at Como do. That is something I will be keeping on the radar.

I want to mention a couple of other things, such as election commitments we made in my electorate, like the Narrogin emergency services hub. That is a great project. We have so many great volunteers in the bush who come out when they are on call and save the day, whether it is a fire or another emergency. This government has whacked up the emergency services levy by 5%. That is not as much as their Victorian Labor colleagues, who are just about having a mutiny after they put up their emergency services levy on the people who actually help them out when there is a fire. It is hard to believe that the Victorian Labor government cannot quite understand how that works. They say, "Let's penalise our volunteers who actually go out and help us out when there is an emergency."

As I said earlier on, we saw that with the KidSport voucher program under sport and recreation, one of my shadow portfolios. This government last year proudly talked about putting it up to $500. Now it has been discovered that it has dropped from $500 back to $300. The average is about $250 to $300, so they just tried to slide this through without anyone noticing. It has been noticed today well and truly. Many media outlets are very unimpressed with it. As per the article in today's The West Australian, it is a "kick in the teeth for hard-up kids". The article states:

Premier Roger Cook called the boost to $500 an "important" measure to reduce sport participation barriers, when it was announced last August.

The Treasurer and the Premier have said that they will increase the number of people and families that have access, but we know what goes on. We have seen what has happened today. We know there are families that use the complete $500 to get their kids into sport. Quite frankly, I find it hard to comprehend, when we have the Burswood racetrack at $217 million, how the government could start penny pinching on these families. We want to encourage kids to do sport. That creates a saving down the track, whether it is due to obesity or any other thing. It gives families that are doing it tough the opportunity to get their kids into sport and keep them in sport. It is quite comical because when we heard the Premier respond today he said that the government had increased it. What was its first step? In 2017, when it was elected, what did it do? It dropped the vouchers from $200 back to $150 and told the scouts that they were no longer eligible. This is the track record of this government. People and journalists are awake to it. I have already been getting feedback from families and local governments out in the bush. They are not impressed. That is the scenario we are up against. We have a government, as I said, with the wrong priorities. The KidSport program is without doubt one of those examples.

To top it off, we have the Vision for the Mid-West, Central Wheatbelt and Roe. It has a nice photo of the Premier on page 1. In the sport and recreation part, it states that the Cook government:

Increased annual funding to the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund to $20 million per annum, to support local sports.

What has it done? It has dropped it to $12 million in this year's budget. You would not believe it. The government talked proudly about it before the election and then dropped it down to $12 million. Once again, our local governments are in a state of shock about this particular scenario. Metro local governments and regional local governments need to apply for that money to help out those particular projects in which it is usually funded by one third.

I think my time is running out. From my perspective, as I said last week to the Treasurer, there is nothing wrong with admitting that you are wrong, instead of pushing on with the $217 million Burswood racetrack that the member for Victoria Park does not want. None of the constituents of Victoria Park, East Perth and Burswood want it. They were all down there putting their stickers on the whiteboards and the poor old member for Landsdale was trying to quell any disturbance there. Some people were moved on by security because they were protesting that they did not want it. Instead of trying to twist this project into something that we think we all need, the government should just admit it is wrong. The people of WA and the electors of Victoria Park would actually say, "Well done, government. You saw those stickers on the whiteboard saying we don't want it". If the Treasurer admitted they were wrong, the statement about it would be fantastic. There will be cars, noise and dust. It will be great.

Mr Basil Zempilas: How much is it really going to cost?

Mr Peter Rundle: That is right. I do not think the people of those surrounding areas or the people of Western Australia think it is good enough when they see things like KidSport being cut and community sport and recreation funding cut. It is a real disappointment. As I said, there is nothing wrong with admitting you are wrong. This is the government of wrong priorities. This is the budget of wrong priorities.

Mr Yaz Mubarakai (Oakford—Parliamentary Secretary) (6:18 pm): Thank you for the opportunity to rise to my feet and make a brief contribution this evening to the second reading debate for the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025.

I start by saying that to me, this budget begins a new era of prosperity in Western Australia. I think this budget simply identifies the hard work of the McGowan and Cook Labor governments over the last eight years. As we all know, last Thursday, the Treasurer, Hon Rita Saffioti, announced our ninth consecutive budget and with it we indicated to Western Australia our seventh consecutive budget surplus. To members of this house, budget surpluses are an important measure to indicate how strong the economy is for any state, organisation or institution. But I want to indicate that it is not just about numbers. To me, it is about hard work. It is about the unconditional commitment and discipline that I have personally experienced over the last eight years. We have pretty much built this state from a place of insolvency and record unemployment, from a time when families were leaving Western Australia in droves for better opportunities—

Mr Basil Zempilas: Where were they going?

Mr Yaz Mubarakai: They were going to the east coast. I will come to that in a second, Leader of the Opposition. Give me a second. I am going to conclude in a very short time without the member's interjections. I hope the member understands the parameters of why I am on my feet today—that is, to describe my experience of the last eight years and our track record, of which I am very proud. I am seeking no further interjections, hopefully, Acting Speaker, from members opposite. I hope to make this a comfortable evening for members opposite to maybe listen to some simple advice and the experience that I seek to share while I stand on my feet this evening.

Going back to my remarks, as I said, families were leaving in droves for better opportunities. It is really important to understand this context. Eight years ago, this state's finances, economy and social wellbeing were at their lowest level. It is a testament to our Plan for Jobs that we have now completely fixed the mess that we inherited, and that we continue to not only reduce the debt and mess, but also make record investments in rail and roads. Quite importantly, these projects are significant to the history of the state, and only Labor has this track record. It is astonishing that when members opposite stand on their feet, they continuously—I do not know—jibber-jabber or just croak away about unrealistic expectations and what they deem to see or understand, from the view of their economic principles, about what the state has been through over the last two decades.

As I said, I will go back a bit to when we were in opposition for almost nine years. I guess some members are new to this place. This is going back to 2008 to 2017. Our team, now obviously led by Premier Roger Cook and Treasurer Hon Rita Saffioti, learnt a hard lesson in those opposition years about how to not take anything for granted. That is clearly a lesson that the opposition still has not learnt. I start by acknowledging certain legends of WA Labor's political landscape, such as Fran "Cockburn Cement" Logan, Mick "Naughty" Murray, Sue "No Nonsense" Ellery, Alannah "DJ Mac" MacTiernan, Bill "Sniper" Johnston, Michelle "Stone Cold" Roberts, Peter "Hercules" Tinley, Simon "Counsel" Millman, Jess "Mullet" Shaw, John "Oracle" Quigley, Margaret "Quirky" Quirk, Ben "Batman" Wyatt and Mark "State Daddy" McGowan. I am saying these names and fondly acknowledging them in this place because I had the pleasure of watching their craft in bringing this state to its glory and making it the envy of our nation. It has been acknowledged over and over by the other states that we are the engine room of this country. Globally, we are recognised as one of the safest places to live. That is a tremendous track record to have.

I am coming to the fact that in the last eight years, we have gone from what I would call bankruptcy to prosperity—the royal flush. Anybody who has ever played a game of cards will know that the royal flush is the strongest hand of cards. It includes the ace, king, queen, jack and 10. The order is spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. Eight years ago, we inherited what felt like the royal flush of bankruptcy. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that the ace of spades was the debt. Back in 2017, that debt was even greater than the national debt. Put that in perspective, Leader of the Opposition: that was the ace of spades. The king of spades was record unemployment at almost 7%.

Mr Basil Zempilas: You're the joker!

Mr Yaz Mubarakai: I am coming to it. You are going to be the joker in a second. I am getting to who is the joker in this. The queen of spades was that members opposite managed to lose the state's Aaa rating and put business confidence back into the gutter. The jack of spades, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, was that members opposite never had a plan for the future—no plans whatsoever—and tried flogging Western Power to cover up the loopholes or the debts that they had basically created by their complete mismanagement of the finances of this state. They took TAFE fees to record highs. Utilities cost were literally crippling WA families. This was all thanks to members opposite being the jack of spades. The 10 of spades was the most important part, which I feel members opposite still have not rectified by apologising to the people of Western Australia for the mess they left behind. They still have not done that. It is bizarre.

(Quorum formed.)

Mr Yaz Mubarakai: I would love to continue. Here we go. As I said, that was the royal flush of what we experienced as a bankrupt state. Eight years on, in this current budget of 2025–26, I truly believe that we have now delivered what I presume, as the father of two young teenagers and the husband of a small-business owner, is the royal flush of prosperity for the state. The ace of spades in this regard is that Western Australia now provides the highest contribution to the national coffers. We have created over 360,000 jobs since 2017 and achieved seven straight budget surpluses with record investments, all while reducing the state's debt, making us the strongest economy in the nation. We definitely did fight for a fair share of GST, all for the prosperity of Western Australian families.

The king of spades, if I may come to that, is that we now have record unemployment.

Ms Rita Saffioti: Or was it the ace?

Mr Yaz Mubarakai: The ace was just done for prosperity. Now we are at the king of spades.

Ms Rita Saffioti interjected.

Mr Yaz Mubarakai: That is okay; we have the king of spades. The ace was prosperity; the king of spades is record unemployment, at an incredible low 3.4%. In fact, we have now been able to rectify a lot of the mess that was created by providing a lot of TAFE courses. Many of those courses are now free and will provide the younger generation with the skill sets required to meet the demands of the boom that Western Australia is experiencing, especially in the construction sector.

The queen of spades is the record investment and record government spending in health, mental health, education and infrastructure. The jack of spades is obviously our record investment in poles, wires and, crucially, keeping Western Power in WA hands. We have brought back rail manufacturing after 30 years and we are definitely having a record build in road and rail infrastructure, including one of my favourite projects moving forward, the $700 million upgrade of Kwinana Freeway, along with the recent opening of the Metronet Thornlie–Cockburn Link and the upgrades to the Armadale line. The 10 of spades is that we kept families safe through the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.

This budget sets the foundation for the decades ahead, promising WA families prosperity, certainty of good governance, fiscal discipline, sound economic and social policies, and a government that will never take Western Australians for granted.

I commend the bill to the house.

Mr Adam Hort (Kalamunda) (6:31 pm): I rise to deliver my reply to the 2025–26 budget on behalf of the opposition, with a focus on the police and corrective services portfolios, with a dash of youth. This is a critical juncture for community safety in Western Australia. Our state's prisons are bursting at the seams and our police force is stretched thin, yet the government's budget offers only minimal relief. The people of WA expect leadership that addresses problems, not that glosses over them. Before I turn to specifics, let me be clear: community safety is not a political talking point; I believe it to be a core responsibility of government. I must confess that as I prepared to speak today, I felt inadequate because I do not have the props or shiny bits of paper that so many others have had. I have budget paper No 3 with me, which is apparently all I need! The issue is that when prisons are so overcrowded that inmates sleep on cell floors, and when frontline police are overworked and undersupported, the safety of both the community and those who serve it are at risk. This budget was an opportunity to decisively address these issues, but unfortunately it has largely missed the mark.

I want to acknowledge at the outset the immense dedication of the men and women of the WA Police Force and our prison system. Day in and day out, our officers, both on the inside and out, put themselves on the line to keep us safe. They run towards danger when others flee. They deal with situations that are often traumatic, violent and challenging, from domestic violence incidents to violent prisoners, roadside crashes and serious crimes. We owe them not just our gratitude, but also tangible support to do their jobs effectively and to stay healthy in both body and mind. This is why it is so disheartening that the 2025–26 budget fails to deliver the meaningful support that either our police officers or prison officers urgently need.

The government talks up its so-called commitment of delivering 950 additional police officers—a promise first made before the 2021 election—but let us be clear: this promise remains broken. To this day, we are still hundreds of officers short. With record high attrition rates, even if the government managed to recruit those officers tomorrow, we would barely be standing still. It is smoke and mirrors. The government's own service and efficiency indicators paint a concerning picture of failure after failure to meet police staffing targets. In metro policing, the 2023–24 budget set a target of 3,827 officers. The estimated actual figure that we now have is just 3,735—an increase of only 35 officers on the previous year's total of 3,700. That is barely moving the needle while attrition remains so high. The government again promised more in 2024–25, targeting 3,972 metro officers, but the latest estimated figures show the force is sitting at just 3,943. It is already falling short.

Let us turn our attention to regional WA, where regional and remote policing services paint an even worse picture. Against the target of 2,407 officers, the current workforce is down by 99 police officers. Surprisingly, the 2025–26 budget target for regional police is actually three officers lower than last year. At a time when regional crime has hit record highs, the government's response is to reduce the target. Is that an admission that it has given up on getting more boots on the ground in the regions? Does it simply not believe it is necessary?

Let us turn our attention to specialist policing services, where expertise is critical to tackling organised crime, family violence and complex investigations. The government is also behind here. The 2024–25 target of 3,557 officers is undermined by the estimated actual staff sitting at just 3,392 in total.

Across the system, the estimated total police number is nearly 300 officers short of the government's own targets. These are not my claims; they are the government's own numbers in the budget books, in black and white. It is failing to deliver on the workforce that our police and our communities urgently need. Of course, this is a national challenge, but that is no excuse for WA to fall so far behind.

The WA Police Union, or WAPU, has been vocal about a number of key issues affecting officer morale, retention and wellbeing, yet on each of these key concerns raised by the police union the budget is either silent or lacking entirely. Take public holiday pay. WA police officers receive no additional recognition for working on public holidays, unlike their counterparts in other states or even many other occupations here at home. Every other public sector worker in this state gets some form of loading, but not police. That sends the wrong message to the men and women who give up family time to keep us safe. There is also no sign of a career transition program, something the union has long called for to support veteran officers as they near the end of their frontline careers. Without it, we risk losing experienced officers altogether, rather than retaining them in mentoring or support roles—things we see in so many other professions and industries. On medical retirement and PTSD support, the government has made signal changes, but glaring gaps remain. Injured officers, many with PTSD, face delays of up to a year for compensation, and WA is still behind other jurisdictions when it comes to presumptive PTSD protections for police. Ambulance officers got theirs in 2022 and firefighters in 2023, yet the police force is still waiting. Finally, there is an obvious opportunity to relieve pressure on the frontline by expanding police auxiliary officer numbers, but, again, there is nothing in this budget to suggest that that is a priority. These are not minor grievances; they go to the heart of morale, retention and the ability of our police to do their jobs.

The common thread here is a disconnect between what frontline police are asking for and what the government is prioritising. They have been pleading for measures to tackle morale and retention for years now. Morale is an issue. We have a record number of officers resigning mid-service. Over the past couple of years, the attrition rate of WA police has absolutely surged. When experienced officers walk away, often to other careers or interstate forces, we lose mentors and a depth of knowledge that we simply cannot replace overnight. Exit interviews and union surveys tell us why they are leaving—they are overworked, undervalued and concerned for their mental health and family life. Officers are human. Endless extra shifts, extended hours and missing family events because of constant understaffing all take a toll. This budget was a chance to retain our officers by addressing those issues.

Yet, beyond funding the standard academy intakes that merely replace some of those who are leaving, I see little that would make a disenfranchised 10-year constable say, "You know what? I'll stick it out." At the last election, the Liberal Party put forward a range of initiatives aimed at preventing crime, supporting police and strengthening community safety. It was a chance for the government to take up some practical, commonsense ideas regardless of who gets the credit. Instead, not one of those forward-looking initiatives made its way into this budget. Unlike the boy scouts, there is no "school cops" program to put experienced officers into schools to work with at-risk kids. There is no presumptive PTSD protections for police, which is a reform that other states already have but this government still has not delivered. There is no expanded paid overtime for those young constables who would like to earn some extra coin, and no serious investment in boosting the number of police auxiliary officers or supporting staff to ease pressure on the front line. The government had options on the table but it has chosen to do the absolute bare minimum, and our police and communities will pay the price for that. At their core, our policies were not just about headlines or numbers; they were designed to lift morale, show our officers that there is a reward for their effort and help keep experienced, capable people in the job. If we keep asking our police to put themselves on the line without backing them up, it is not just their safety at risk, but the safety of all of us. The simple truth is that when the police are undermined, so is public safety, and the government is doing both.

For over 18 months—potentially much longer than that but I will give it 18 months—this government has been staring down the barrel of a growing crisis in our corrective services system, yet there is still no clear plan. Our prisons are overcrowded, under-resourced and teetering on the edge of collapse. That is not political rhetoric; it is the unavoidable conclusion drawn from the government's own data and reports released by the independent Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services, which does absolutely amazing work in some terrible conditions. The numbers are stark. As of June 2025, there were over 8,500 prisoners in custody in Western Australia. On 3 June, the muster hit 8,545 inmates. Our prisons were never designed or resourced to hold this many people. The average for the 2023–24 financial year was 7,134. That is an increase of nearly 20% in just one year. Hundreds of inmates are sleeping on floors. On 28 March, 373 prisoners were forced to sleep on a mattress on cell floors. At Hakea Prison, one of WA's largest remand facilities, the inspector found that cells built for one person now cram in three people, with one person sleeping beside the toilet on a mattress. I just cannot believe this.

The conditions at Hakea Prison have deteriorated to a point that can only be described as inhumane. Prisoners are living in cramped, unhygienic cells, many of which are infested with cockroaches and other pests. These are not my words; they come from the Inspector of Custodial Services himself, who actually issued a formal show cause notice to the Department of Justice stating that prisoners at Hakea were being treated in a way that was cruel, inhumane or degrading. This is unbelievable. The independent inspector did not mince his words. Conditions at Hakea fall well below the basic standards set out in The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. These are known internationally as the Nelson Mandela rules. Nelson Mandela advocated for these conditions for many, many years. Rule 1 of those guidelines is very clear: no circumstances whatsoever can justify cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners. Yet that is exactly what is happening inside Hakea. That should shock every member of this Parliament, even those at dinner. This is not about comfort. Justice demands that criminals face the consequences of their actions, but unsafe, unsanitary and overcrowded conditions do not make the community safer.

Imagine for a second being confined in a cell with two other violent criminals for hours on end, day after day. There is no space, no privacy and no reprieve from the tension. One prisoner is sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor beside the toilet—the toilet that they all use. The air reeks, and the cockroaches and rats scurry around them. This is not rehabilitation; it is a recipe for resentment, anger and violence. People are hardened by conditions like this. It breaks them down and makes them more volatile and dangerous. This does not give them a pathway back; it drives them deeper into the mindset that landed them behind bars in the first place. Eventually, the reality is that most of these offenders will walk back into the community at some stage. The question is: Do we want them angrier? Do we want them more unstable and more hardened than when they went in, or do we want a system that, at the very least, gives them a chance to change? The current conditions make that impossible. Overcrowding on this scale makes rehabilitation impossible. We cannot reform, educate or rehabilitate people when they are locked in cramped cells for 20 hours a day.

Let us be clear: this did not happen overnight. Prison numbers have been escalating sharply post-COVID. The government has had years to prepare, yet here we are still doing the homework, with no clear plan. The Minister for Corrective Services took over this portfolio years ago in the aftermath of the Banksia Hill Detention Centre riot, an event that set our corrective services back by millions of dollars and years of progress. I was hopeful that, by now, the minister would have developed a clear, comprehensive plan for the future of our custodial system to address overcrowding, deal with the ageing infrastructure and restore safety and accountability. Unfortunately, the budget does little in the way of addressing these problems. The community deserves better than vague promises and an attitude that better things are yet to come. It deserves certainty, and after years in the job, the minister should have been able to deliver it. I am sad that the minister could not be here today, but I am sure he will be watching the debate on his flight to wherever he is going at the moment.

When it comes to staffing the people tasked with keeping these facilities safe, secure and functional, the numbers have barely shifted on the dial. The total number of allocated positions for adult corrective services sits almost exactly where it was two years ago. In fact, the number has gone backwards. The total allocated positions for public prisons in Western Australia was 3,723.7 in 2023. Now, in 2025, it is 3,713.8. The figure for the actual number of officers on the floor has virtually flatlined, while prison numbers have surged by 20%. The staffing at Bunbury Regional Prison has gone backwards by just under 10 FTE in the last 12 months. When prison numbers surge but staffing levels stagnate, it is not just a workplace issue; it is a safety issue. It means more lockdowns, more assaults and more prisoners locked in cells for hours on end with no access to programs or rehabilitation.

(Member's time extended.)

Mr Adam Hort: For the officers, it means longer shifts, higher stress and higher risk. We see the consequences of that imbalance play out across the system every single day. What is most concerning is that this budget does little to change that. There is no serious investment to recruit more staff or to retain the experienced workers already holding the system together. It is the same short-sighted approach we saw when it came to our police force—ignoring the pressure and hoping the problem sorts itself out. Here is the harsh reality: when there are not enough prison officers behind the wire, the system buckles. When our prisons are full and our officers are stretched, the only realistic outcome is more offenders being granted bail. That is not because they deserve it, but because there is nowhere else for them to go. People who should be behind bars end up back in the community, and when that happens, crimes are committed. It is that simple. The overcrowding crisis means that officers are under constant pressure and working in dangerous conditions, and that prisoners are locked in cells with no access to programs or rehabilitation. We are not reducing reoffending; we are creating a powder keg.

We know that the department is actively looking at major infrastructure solutions—it is out there. We heard about a new prison. We heard about a $1 billion-plus investment or, at the very least, significant upgrades across the system to relieve this significant pressure. That need is obvious, yet, remarkably, not a word of it appears in this budget. Why? Is the government maybe hoping to kick the can down the road or is it simply not prepared to be up-front with the public about the scale of the problem and the scale of the price tag?

Then there is unit 18—the temporary solution that has quietly become the new normal in Western Australia's youth system. It was never meant to be this way. Unit 18 was supposed to be an emergency stopgap measure while the government got its act together. It was meant to be only short term. Instead, two years on, vulnerable young people, many of them Indigenous and facing complex health issues, are still being housed inside an adult maximum-security prison. This budget, like the midyear review before it, was a chance for the government to be up-front with the public and to outline when unit 18 will close, to provide certainty and give the community confidence that the failures of the past are finally being addressed. Instead, all we have seen are vague commitments. The Government Mid-year Financial Projections Statement confirmed that funding for a new youth detention facility had been provisioned, but the government refuses to disclose the total costs, claiming it might prejudice the tender process. Maybe that is understandable, but the government still cannot explain—this budget fails to answer it—when unit 18 will close. When will these young people be removed from an adult facility? When will the promises made to the community finally be honoured? Make no mistake: the longer this drags on, the more permanent it becomes. I have to ask members opposite: Are you comfortable with that? Are you honestly proud of the record this government has delivered when it comes to youth justice? I can tell you that I am not, and neither is the community.

I keep in my office a copy of the front page of The West Australian from the day of the Banksia Hill riots. On the front of the paper is a picture of a teenage girl perched on the roof of Banksia prison with an assault rifle pointed at her head. That image is a reminder of what happens when we allow the system to drift, when we fail to act and when we accept temporary measures as permanent solutions. This appears to be acceptance. Members opposite should look at that image and ask themselves, "Is this really the best we can do or are we simply hoping the public stops paying attention?" The government has been warned. The inspector's reports are damning. Prison officers are at breaking point. Please reach out to them. I hear from them all the time. After 18 months of escalating problems, the government's response is patchy, reactive and unconvincing.

Tucked away in the budget papers is one of the clearest admissions of failure yet—namely, the $46.9 million cash injection for electronic monitoring in the regions! Let us not mince words.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members.

Mr Adam Hort: The funding is absolutely needed, but it exposes exactly what this government has been trying to hide for months—that its rollout of the GPS tracking program for high-risk offenders, particularly in regional WA, has been completely inadequate. For months, the Premier and the Minister for Corrective Services told this Parliament, the media and the public that there were no resourcing problems with GPS monitoring. The facts tell a different story, and the most damning facts came straight from the government's own senior leadership. In April this year, the Commissioner of Corrective Services wrote directly to the Commissioner of Police, spelling it out in black and white. He said:

Accordingly, I am now providing formal advice that ACC will not recommend or support the use of electronic monitoring under the Family Violence Legislation Reform Act in any location other than the Perth Metropolitan area.

This was backed up in an email sent by the assistant commissioner, who said that a decision had been made by the Department of Justice. He said:

We can no longer support or recommend the use of electronic monitoring under the Family Violence Legislation Reform Act (FVLR) in any location other than the Perth metropolitan area …

That was not a political attack. That was not media speculation. That was the commissioner and assistant commissioner—the people responsible for running this system—admitting the truth. While ministers were standing in front of cameras insisting GPS monitoring was working, their own department was sounding the alarm. It is humiliating, but, worse, it is dangerous, because even now, months later, we still do not know whether the system has been fixed in regional Western Australia. Has the government completed the promised review of electronic monitoring in Perth's outer suburbs? If it has, why has it not been honest about the results? The public deserves answers, victim-survivors deserve answers, but all we have seen is spin, secrecy and back-pedalling.

Buried in this budget is a $47 million bandaid to try to patch up the mess, but money after the fact does not erase the months of denial or the risk that remains. The truth is that the GPS monitoring program was undercooked from the beginning. The government failed to properly account for the logistical challenges of monitoring offenders across vast and remote parts of our state. It did not provide enough staff; it did not invest in the infrastructure, and it did not have the operational capability to enforce what it promised. It is not good enough. When it comes to violent offenders, particularly repeat family and domestic violence perpetrators, victim-survivors deserve better. This government talks a big game about keeping communities safe, but, when it mattered, and it came to properly implementing and resourcing a GPS monitoring program that could save lives, it cut corners, downplayed concerns and left regional communities exposed. The people of Western Australia deserve the truth, and deserve a government prepared to deliver on its promises, not stumble from crisis to crisis scrambling to clean up the mess after the fact. We in the opposition will keep up the pressure for a real plan—one that expands capacity, urgently boosts staffing levels and restores safety and dignity to our prisons. Anything less is a betrayal of the community's right to feel safe and of those working behind the wires every day.

I want to quickly speak about the Cook Labor government's budget and what it does for families and cost-of-living relief. In fact, it punishes them. As the shadow Minister for Youth, I find some of the rhetoric and action from this government over the past week to be deeply disappointing. By scrapping the free pool entry for VacSwim—I commend the member for Carine for bringing that to everyone's attention, particularly the communities—parents now need to pay daily just to get their kids to swimming lessons. This extra cost will force many families to walk away from a basic essential safety program. The member is right: the minister's response that the "beach is free at all times" is an insult. It shows a shocking disconnect from ordinary families, especially those in outer suburbs and regional WA. In Kalamunda, the nearest beach for most is a 45-minute drive away. If you have a car, the fuel and the time, even then, the ocean is no place for swimming lessons. For many it can be dangerous, depending on the parents' ability to swim, as rips, tidal surges and unpredictable surf can certainly put children at risk. At the same time, the government has cut KidSport vouchers from $500 to $300. I will not go on about this because I know plenty has been said, but I cannot understand it. I had the honour of visiting the Kalamunda Scout Group with Libby Mettam during the election campaign, and the kids there were thrilled by our announcement to re-include scouts in the KidSport vouchers. The kids and their families were over the moon. Although it is good to see it back, it is really disappointing that the full program has not been delivered.

Acting Speaker, when it comes to keeping our community safe and giving our kids a fair go, there is no room for shortcuts, complacency and the kind of short-term thinking that has defined this government, whether it is in policing, corrective services or the basic opportunities families rely on to help their children thrive. The issues I have raised today are not hypothetical; they are real, immediate and affect every Western Australian. We all want the same thing—to live in a community where people feel safe, where those who do the wrong thing are held to account, where those tasked with upholding the law are respected and properly supported, and where our kids have every chance to stay active, stay safe and stay out of trouble. That does not happen by accident. It takes planning, investment, and leadership. Right now, we are seeing the opposite. The government has allowed the cracks to widen in our prison system. This government has left police officers feeling undervalued and overwhelmed, cut KidSport vouchers, scrapped free swimming lessons, and left parents picking up the tab, all while finding $220 million for a racetrack that no-one asked for.

That speaks to its priorities, and it speaks volumes. The mark of a responsible government is to confront these challenges head-on, stop dismissing concerns and reacting only when the media spotlight is too bright to ignore and start delivering a proper plan for policing, corrective services, young people and community safety more broadly. The opposition has been clear. We want to see a plan for proper investment in prison capacity. We want a justice system that genuinely rehabilitates. We want our police supported with mental health care, career pathways and the numbers they need on the frontline. We want to see early intervention so that young people stay in sport, stay at school and stay out of the justice system altogether. These are not radical ideas; rather, they are the basics of good governance, the building blocks of safe communities and, frankly, the standard that all Western Australians deserve.

Leadership is not about waiting for the next riot, tragedy or front-page headline. It is about recognising the risks, listening to the experts and making decisions today that will make our state stronger, safer and fairer tomorrow. I stand ready, as do the Liberal and National Parties, to work with the government when needed to achieve those outcomes. But that cooperation starts with honesty, a frank assessment of where we are falling short and a willingness to chart a better course ahead, because the people of Western Australia deserve nothing less.

Mrs Magenta Marshall (Rockingham) (7:01 pm): I rise today to support the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025 and to use this opportunity to highlight some of the specific funding in the budget for my electorate of Rockingham.

This budget builds on the strong financial position the government has maintained since coming to office in 2017. I put on the record my congratulations to the Deputy Premier and Treasurer for delivering this strong Labor budget that is focused on reducing cost-of-living pressures for Western Australians in a targeted way, improving our hospitals and making our schools even better.

Delivered in just over 100 days since the state election on 8 March, this budget is about supporting WA families, keeping our economy strong and making more things in Western Australia. Responsibly looking after the state's finances has meant that the Cook Labor government can deliver more money where it is needed, such as housing and health. We have already sat through many hours of debate that have highlighted some of the statewide programs in the budget, including the WA student assistance payment, cheaper public transport through the one-zone fare cap from 1 January, expanding the WA virtual emergency departments (WAVED), slashing stamp duty for first home buyers and providing additional Keystart products to help more families own their own home.

However, most importantly to me, this budget begins to deliver on the commitments I made to my electorate at the state election earlier this year. As a mum in Waikiki, I want the Rockingham community to be the best it can be. I am excited that this budget includes significant funding for local projects and to uplift core services in Rockingham. I would love this opportunity to share these with the house.

I will start with education. Like many other members in this place, education is my passion; indeed, it was the motivator for my seeking public office. I am really passionate about equal access to opportunities and have a deep appreciation for the transformative power of a quality education. In fact, my husband is a teacher at a public high school in the Acting Speaker's electorate. As the coordinator for its Country Week program, families have told him how meaningful the rebate will be in attending Country Week next week. I want to talk about the commitments in Rockingham relating to education.

The government has made a $1 million commitment for new early learning facilities at Cooloongup Primary School. This school is nearly 50 years old and has really outgrown its facilities. I put on the record my appreciation to principal Adam Marchant and P&C co-presidents Nicole and Scott Chalmers, who raise a lot of money to support the local school community with several fundraisers a year. They often let me know how I can support their next fundraiser and, as the local member, I am always excited and thrilled to be able to support them. I put on record my sincere thanks to them.

The sum of $61.5 million for the redevelopment of Rockingham Senior High School has been included in this budget. I have talked about this project before, but I want to update the house that the forward works have been undertaken at the school to deliver car parks and shed and services upgrades, with completion due soon. The main works contract is planned to be released for tender shortly, with construction anticipated to commence in August 2025. The principal of the school is Stan Koios and the principal of the Rockingham SHS Education Support Centre, which is co-located at the school, is Margaret Keen. I was really excited to support her and the school community with a $25,000 commitment for the installation of a new durable and safe swing in the playground. Education support centres deserve a lot of love and attention, so I am glad to be able to support her and her students.

Another project I have talked about in this place before is the $41.5 million redevelopment of Safety Bay Senior High School. Similarly, that project is planned to be released for tender this month, with construction due to commence in August. School principal Jessica Halliday is relatively new, having started at the start of this school year. I put on the record my appreciation for her and her efforts in advocating for the school. She has a psych background and, given that the school has had some troubling incidents in the past, I know she will play a meaningful role.

Bungaree Primary School in my electorate is almost 60 years old. We are not supposed to have favourite children, but this school might be one of my favourites. It does a lot with a little, and I am really excited to be able to support it with a $110,000 commitment for the construction of an adventure nature-based playground. It has been on the school's wish list for a while but has been beyond its means through local fundraising. I thank principal Sharon Albers-Smith and P&C president Simone for working with me on this idea and for advocating for their students.

Hillman Primary School will be celebrating its 50th anniversary later this year. It has an active school community; indeed, I meet people who were on the P&C many decades ago and are still actively involved. I first attended a P&C meeting when I went to a Hillman Primary School P&C meeting early on in my term as the local member. I was just blown away by the amount of work it does and what it contributes back to the school. I am really excited that the state budget provides $50,000 for the installation of new shade sails over the playgrounds and chilled water fountains throughout the school. I want to give a shout-out to principal Alessandro Di Felice and P&C president Stacey. I particularly want to acknowledge former P&C president Kristy Simms, with whom I did a lot of work on this project.

Charthouse Primary School is the newest school in the electorate, being only 34 years old. It has a hardworking P&C and school executive, with a lot of ideas and passion to nurture their students. They deliver a lot of projects to support their kids through rigorous fundraising. I give a shout-out to P&C president Shamim Farnham, who has hit me up many times gratefully and positively, and principal Marie Auvache. They have worked with me on the commitment that is funded in the budget of $25,000 to install a cultural centre with a yarning circle, totem poles and a native Indigenous food garden.

Rockingham Montessori School will be celebrating 40 years this year. With the guidance of principal Vanessa Aikins, I was really glad to be able to provide funding in this budget of $32,000 for the purchase of 20 laptops to better enhance students' learning capabilities.

East Waikiki Primary School is almost 40 years old. It has an active and hardworking P&C with president Crystal Webb and committee member Michelle Stanton, with whom I have worked on the commitment of $50,000 for the construction of a nature-based playground for the kindergarten and pre-primary area. I also pay tribute to former principal Sam Prodonovich who, I believe, has moved on to a school in the Attorney General's electorate. As of the 2025 school year, we have a new principal, Kara Larson. I am excited to work with her to deliver this project.

The oldest school in my electorate is Rockingham Beach Primary School. Established in 1895, it is 130 years old this year. It was originally at a different location in Rockingham, but it has been at its current site since 1935, so 90 years. I was thrilled to support its hardworking P&C president Shannon Cowan and principal Denise Duffy with a $50,000 commitment for the installation of the Wandjar meeting place to which students can invite elders to have a yarn with and share the cultural significance of Rockingham, or Mooriburdup.

Also co-located at Rockingham Beach Primary School is the education support centre, which was established in 1987. Principal Julie Pullen has advocated immensely for that school, and I am really excited to have been able to support her efforts with $50,000 for the installation of a lifestyle kitchen to teach students important cooking skills.

Safety Bay Primary School is another long-serving school in the electorate that has a history going back to 1942, when students were taught in a local hall. They then moved to their permanent facilities in 1952. That was redeveloped in 2007 by the former member for Rockingham and Minister for Education at the time, Hon Mark McGowan. There is a $50,000 line item in the budget for the construction of a nature-based playground on the shared-use oval, to which there will also be community access outside school hours. I want to pay tribute to P&C president Hayley Stones and principal Jodie Shicker, who has been a principal in the Rockingham community for many decades.

Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is another local school with a history going back to the 1940s. With principal Mauricio Da Silva I was glad to support the school with a $50,000 commitment towards installing a nature-based playground for the school's early year students. Kolbe Catholic College is the only private high school in my electorate and, under the guidance of principal Neil Alweyn, I was excited to be able to provide a contribution of $40,000 towards the school's outdoor learning area project.

Finally, the last school in my electorate is Malibu School, which is more than 40 years old and is a purpose-built kindergarten to year 13 specialist school in Safety Bay for students with intellectual disability, physical disability, sensory impairment and/or autism spectrum disorder. Through this budget, we will deliver $40,000 for new outdoor sensory equipment at that school. I want to particularly mention former principal Merrilee Wright, who moved on at the start of this year, and I look forward to working with new principal, Seth Willingham, on this project.

There are many other projects in Rockingham funded through this state budget, including $18 million for a mental health emergency centre at Rockingham General Hospital that will provide a new eight-bed ward to deliver appropriate and compassionate care to people in need. That is on top of the 32 additional beds that have been delivered at this hospital in the last three years. Another commitment at Rockingham General Hospital, in partnership with the member for Baldivis, is $300,000 for a water birthing pool. Rockingham families deserve to have access to the same opportunities and choices when birthing as people who attend private or tertiary hospitals, so I am excited that this budget will deliver funding for this project. It will deliver dignity, choice and improved care for local families.

Also in the budget is $700 million to widen Kwinana Freeway, in both directions, to Mortimer Road. As someone who uses this freeway frequently, travelling from Rockingham, I am truly excited about this. I wish it could go further, to Safety Bay Road, but there is a bit of constraint around Walley Bridge. I think this will provide a really meaningful improvement to people travelling to and from the city for work. There is also in this state budget a funding uplift to services in Rockingham, such as funding for HEART, or Homeless Engagement, Assessment Response Team, which is delivered by Saint Pat's, and planning for an uplift in funding to South Coastal Women's Health services.

Noting the time, I will just run through a few of the other ones that I really am excited to be able to deliver in partnership with the Treasurer. Safety Bay Tennis Club will receive $160,000 through the budget towards improving accessibility, kitchen and change room upgrades at its location. That is in partnership with the City of Rockingham. This is the club that is home to wheelchair tennis champion Wayne Arnott. He is, in fact, the first wheelchair athlete to play in able-bodied state competitions; he is that good! He currently has a lot of trouble accessing the change rooms at the Safety Bay Tennis Club, given that it is an old facility, so that is a really meaningful project included in this budget. There is also $110,000 for the Rockingham BMX Club towards track repairs. This is a growing club in the community. We know that wheel sports are booming across the state, so supporting that club so that there is a place for kids to go and participate is really important. I want to thank Chantelle Carine for working with me on this project.

There are some other smaller projects, such as new scoreboards at the Rockingham Rams Football Club and the Safety Bay Stingers Football Club; shade shelters at the Safety Bay Bowling Club; new lighting at the Rockingham Bowling Club; a new trishaw for Cycling Without Age; and equipment at Warnbro Strikers Soccer Club. That is my former soccer club, where I played, and it does wonderful work at a really ageing facility. There is also equipment for Rockingham Raptors; upgrades for Rockingham RSL; the purchase and installation of a large cool room at The Crew in Rockingham, which provides emergency hampers and food relief for people in Rockingham doing it tough; and the purchase and installation of new lapidary machines at the Rockingham Districts Gem and Rock Hunting Club—a club that I never knew existed until becoming a member, but it is a thriving club and I am very honoured to be its patron. There is also $200,000 towards expanding and replacing the backstop netting at the Rockingham Rams Baseball Club; $40,000 towards new lighting and rig integration at the Rockingham Theatre Company; and finally, $30,000 towards installing CCTV and other minor upgrades at the Westerly Family Centre, which is in fact where Bowie will be celebrating her first birthday next month.

I will leave my contribution there. I know there are many other people who have positive news to share out of the state budget. There is exciting work ahead to deliver all these projects, so I want to conclude by again thanking and congratulating the Treasurer for this state budget, which will deliver for Rockingham. Thank you very much.

Mr Dan Bull (Maylands) (7:16 pm): This is my first opportunity to respond to a state budget as the member for Maylands, and it is a privilege to rise in this place and speak on behalf of a community I love and have served for many years in local government and now in Parliament. This budget continues the Cook Labor government's strong and responsible financial management, delivering a seventh consecutive operating surplus and striking the right balance between delivering for the community and making sure that the budget remains in a sustainable position over the long term, ensuring the ability to respond to the uncertainties of the future, given the current global turmoil, while driving economic resilience.

Additionally, this budget will ensure that net debt remains at manageable levels. This is particularly important when we consider that in the time the Liberal government was in power, from 2008, it managed to rack up structural deficits in excess of $2 billion per annum, leaving Labor to deal with over $40 billion in debt. As a share of the WA economy, net debt is now forecast to remain below 10% between now and 2028–29—by far the lowest of all Australian jurisdictions. Importantly, lower debt means less money wasted on interest payments. Treasury estimates that around $4.6 billion in interest payments have been saved due to lower debt under the Cook government—funds that can be redirected to critical community initiatives.

Underpinned by continuing responsible economic management, this budget delivers real outcomes for the people of Maylands. It includes major infrastructure investments, targeted cost-of-living relief, support for small businesses and significant funding for schools and hospitals. It also delivers on a wide range of local election commitments I made during the campaign. Accordingly, local priorities are on track and I will continue to work with ministers and agencies to ensure that every promise is delivered in full.

At this point, I would like to focus on three particular areas that are important to many in Maylands—culture and the creative industries, public transport and education. I began playing piano when I was very young and took up the French horn in primary school. My parents saw the value of music, making sure it was part of my life, and in my late teens, I started playing keys in rock and roll bands, so when I talk about culture, I am not talking in the abstract; I am talking about people—young people finding their voice, performers needing to pay the rent, and artists who at times are assumed to be okay with giving away their work for free because we sometimes forget that the work of an artist is legitimate work. This budget makes significant investments in Western Australia's cultural life, including the contemporary music sector through the live music support package. This is especially important for Maylands and for WA. We have some of the best musical talent in the country, arguably the world, but distance and scale means it is often harder for WA artists to get the same breaks. That is why this funding is important. It is not just about live music; it is about sustainable creative careers, local jobs and opportunities that allow our stories to be told and heard.

In addition, this budget funds the Perth Concert Hall redevelopment, a project I wholeheartedly support. For decades, this building has hosted extraordinary performances, whether by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, touring rock'n'roll acts or school performances, just to name a few. But it is now in need of renovation and modernisation. This funding will ensure that it remains one of our state's premier concert venues for decades to come.

Just as important as supporting artists and performers is ensuring that every child can experience the arts. That is why I am so proud of the Access All Areas pass for kids. This initiative will give local young people the opportunity to visit an arts, cultural or creative venue, which will increase young people's engagement with WA's world-leading arts and culture at a key time in their development by offsetting the cost of ticket purchases, giving them the opportunity to broaden their minds and light the spark of lifelong curiosity. Importantly, the program will also support our local creative sector, driving increased visitation to venues and events and putting well-earned money into the pockets of local artists, venue staff, event planners and production teams.

I would now like to make a few comments about public transport. Metronet has been transformative for the Maylands electorate. This is particularly as a result of the upgraded Bayswater train station, now the second largest station in the metro area, and the Morley station, which was established as part of the new Ellenbrook line. These projects have resulted in more people within the electorate having access to world-class public transport. That is why I am so pleased to see the budget introduce the suburban flat fare. This significant cost-of-living program, commencing from 1 January next year, will cap public transport fares across the Perth metro area to just $2.80 on an auto load SmartRider. Let me spell out what that means. Someone in Bayswater can now travel to Fremantle, Mandurah, Joondalup or the airport for the same flat fare. It means that someone living in a two-zone area in Embleton or Morley will pay just $2.80 to get into the CBD. School students will continue to be able to ride for free in Western Australia. Together, these measures make WA one of the most affordable states in the country for public transport, while at the same time boosting patronage, helping to reduce emissions and ensuring more people have access. This shows that the Cook Labor government is serious about reducing cost-of-living pressures and making public transport a practical and attractive option for more people, thereby improving the lives of Maylands electorate locals.

Changing tack again, I will now make a few comments about an issue that has come up again and again in Maylands—the need for an out-of-school-hours care service for the Maylands Peninsula Primary School community. For years parents have struggled to find before and after school care, meaning they have had to cobble together arrangements, change work hours or, worse, pull out of the workforce entirely. This affects families, putting pressure on working parents who are just trying to do the right thing and make ends meet. That is why I am so pleased that this budget includes funding to support out-of-school-hours care for Maylands Peninsula Primary School. I want to thank the school community for its tireless advocacy on this issue. I look forward to seeing this commitment being delivered, supporting local working families in Maylands.

While we are on school-related subjects, I will take this opportunity to note the importance of school breakfast programs, ensuring students have the best start to the day to prepare themselves to be the best learners they can. It is also an important school community event. We know that in many cultures, sharing food does more than just fill the belly; it creates connections and builds bonds. School breakfast programs achieve just that among students, teachers and the wider school community. I recently had the opportunity to join the school community at John Forrest Secondary College for its breakfast club, organised by the school's parents and citizens association and delivered along with staff and students. This currently happens once a week. The atmosphere was awesome. For me, seeing the enthusiasm and involvement of both staff and students at John Forrest was really amazing. Folks prepared and served the food together, with toast, cereal and cheese toasties providing popular choices. The shared effort built a strong sense of community spirit. It was also very generous of everyone there to let me get involved with some of the prep and dare to eat the toasties I made. I have not yet received any reports of food poisoning, so hopefully I got it right. In recognising the importance of these programs, this budget commits to their expansion and extension. That means that breakfast club at schools such as John Forrest Secondary College will happen more often each week, a great result for students and the school community.

As I mentioned earlier in my speech, this budget contains funding and planning commitments for many other local projects within the Maylands electorate, commitments I made during the campaign. Although time does not allow me to go into detail on each, the way in which many of these commitments support local organisations, grassroots sporting clubs, arts organisations, community groups and our local schools is important. These are the things that make a difference. They may not always grab headlines but they help to build communities and improve people's lives.

In conclusion, this budget delivers for our state and for the Maylands electorate, not just in dollars and cents but in opportunities, fairness and vision. It is focused on continuing the Cook Labor government's strong and responsible financial management but doing so in a way that balances supporting the community and making sure that we remain in a sustainable position over the long term. Coupled with a strong WA economy, the engine room of the nation, the budget ensures that this government has the ability to respond to any future shocks while driving economic resilience. This budget is also focused on delivering on the ground. As someone who is part of the Maylands community, I know the difference these investments will make. To the people of Maylands, as your representative in this place, I will keep working to make sure the promises we have made are delivered, ensuring real outcomes for our community. I commend the budget to the house.

Ms Ali Kent (Kalgoorlie) (7:27 pm): I rise today with pride to speak on the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025 and to let members know about some of the investments in my region. I am proud to be part of the Cook Labor government and thrilled that so many of the projects I have been advocating for have been supported. I would like to thank the Treasurer for a solid budget that we can all be proud of. As the Minister for Goldfields–Esperance told me about six times when he was doing a presentation on the budget on Friday, the Goldfields media release went on for four pages.

Mr David Michael: No double spacing.

Ms Ali Kent: There was no double spacing, just four pages of solid good investments for the Goldfields region. That is how many investments we funded—four pages worth. I am proud that this budget affirms what my community already knows—that the Goldfields is part of the engine room of Western Australia, keeping our state so prosperous. The budget is more than just numbers and forecasts; it is a road map for our state's future. In these times of global uncertainty, our state remains the national leader, with economic growth, low unemployment and the seventh consecutive budget surplus. We have created 367,000 jobs. Imagine that. WA's population is growing because, let us be honest, who would not want to live here? No matter where they live, we want all West Aussies to have access to local job opportunities, major services and infrastructure.

There are some big investment numbers in the budget for the Goldfields region. As I said recently, I am thrilled to be part of a government that is investing nearly $1 billion in the 2025–26 state budget to improve the lives of constituents living in the electoral district of Kalgoorlie and beyond.

This is unprecedented. When we make commitments, we deliver. Our government has a vision for the Goldfields, one that I helped create, which will help build on our successes and prepare our region for the future—a bright and prosperous future. It was an absolute pleasure to recently announce, alongside the Minister for Water, our investment of $543 million to fast-track the first stage of the critical long-term upgrades to the Goldfields water pipeline. This is a once-in-a-generation announcement. Originally built and commissioned by C.Y. O'Connor in 1903, the infrastructure has been servicing the region for over 120 years. The priority upgrades will see an increase in capacity of 7.2 million litres daily from 2027. It will help meet industrial growth and enhance reliability for not only the Goldfields, but also the Central Wheatbelt. It is a pity that the member for Central Wheatbelt is not here today, but he has welcomed this as a wonderful addition to the Wheatbelt. Unfortunately, the Leader of the Nationals was still whingeing about it on the radio the other day and said it was not enough. All I can say is that the word of the day is "wow". I have said it before and I will say it again: I love my Goldfields community and will do everything I can to make it a better place to live and work.

Having been a single mum myself, I know how hard it is for families to make ends meet. I am pleased that this budget continues to deliver meaningful cost-of-living relief measures for regional families, including the second round of the WA student assistance payment, which provides $150 for kindy and primary school students and $250 for high school students. While I am here in Parliament this week, my brilliant staff are doing mobile offices at schools around the electorate to help parents access the payments. This is what we do as MPs in our region. I have done a few myself and the parents are happy to have this extra support from the state government. I am also extremely proud to have advocated for and secured another increase to the Regional Pensioner Travel Card. It is another $100 increase, bringing the total to $775 per year. What a difference this makes to the lives of the seniors in my community. I know this because they tell me.

We will continue to deliver on our popular regional airfares zone cap scheme. It is $199 one way for regional residents travelling to Perth from Kalgoorlie–Boulder, Laverton, Leonora, Wiluna and Norseman. This is a winner. What a difference it makes for people travelling to medical appointments, catching up with family or going to the footy. We are permanently halving Transwa fares, including the Prospector train and bus services connecting the towns in regional Western Australia, and capping public transport fares at a cost of one-zone ticketing, including for the Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Kambalda bus services.

Let me tell members, we in the Goldfields take our sport pretty seriously. Country Week is a huge week on the school calendar. You would know that, would you not, Acting Speaker (Mrs Magenta Marshall)? AFL, soccer, netball, basketball, badminton, hockey, indoor cricket, touch football, volleyball and dance are epic, but can also be costly. That is why we have introduced Country Week assistance payments to help families for the cost of accommodation and travel costs for Country Week. It is $500 per student. Parents are happy to get this extra support. We had standout results at the 2024 district high school Country Week with Kalgoorlie–Boulder Community High School dominating multiple sports. I look forward to hearing how they fare again this year.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a strong advocate for young people and for investment in our community so that our youth do not have to go further afield than locally to secure solid education and have the resources and infrastructure locally that they deserve. That is why I am proud to be delivering $12 million to O'Connor Primary School for an early childhood block, integrating with the education support centre; $1.8 million for the Kambalda West District High School oval upgrades; $1.8 million for Leonora District High School and Boulder Primary School for air conditioning upgrades; $850 000 for Norseman District High School for pre-primary buildings and nature playground upgrades, undercover air conditioning and flooring for Hannans Primary School, playgrounds and basketball upgrades at Kalgoorlie–Boulder, north Kalgoorlie, St Mary's, St Joseph's and Fairbridge College. These investments are for significant infrastructure upgrades.

As someone who is known to scream for their team—go Dockers!—I know how important local grassroots sporting clubs are to our regional towns. It is where we come together, have playful banter and connect. I will always be a staunch advocate for investment in regional sporting infrastructure and am very proud that the Cook Labor government is establishing a $6 million women's sport grants program to encourage women and girls to get involved in community sport. I have got $1.7 million to deliver a mountain bike track in Kalgoorlie–Boulder, and everyone is very excited for that; $2.6 million worth of lighting upgrades at Kalgoorlie–Boulder sporting facilities; turf upgrades at Kalgoorlie bowling club; our beloved PCYC in Kalgoorlie is getting a new gym floor; we are transforming some of the old tennis courts in Kalgoorlie–Boulder to pickleball courts; $800 000 for park upgrades at Kennedy Park; $100 000 to develop a new youth centre in Kambalda; $770 000 to upgrade the facilities at Kalgoorlie–Boulder Racing Club; the old greens at the Coolgardie RSL will be reconstructed at a cost of $330 000; we are building a nature-based community play guaranteed at Menzies; and resurfacing the community courts, creating other pickleball courts and a pump track in Norseman. That is a lengthy list and a brilliant addition for the region.

Along with investments in sports and recreation facilities, there are incredible growth opportunities for my community. Growth opportunities mean more job opportunities locally, and we have some exciting opportunities ahead with the resources, mining, tourism and new energies sectors, to name just a few. WA has the strongest economy in the nation, and that is not by accident. Our government's strong economic management, word-leading resources sector and our hardworking fellow Australians all help to create a prosperous future for our state. Think back to when the Liberals and Nationals were in government. I know it is depressing, but they left a legacy of economic mismanagement and broken promises, especially for regional Western Australia. Only a Cook Labor government can be trusted to do what is right for WA and to manage our state's finances and our state's future. If we look back 25 years, we can see that the Liberals and Nationals then made one of the worst decisions they could. They privatised WA's rail freight network—a woeful deal.

Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.

Ms Ali Kent: The member just missed what I said about him. Not the woeful deal. I am not blaming the member for that. I do not think he was born then!

It was a woeful deal that has impacted our regional transport routes and regional roads ever since.

Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.

Ms Ali Kent: Not that long ago.

Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.

Ms Ali Kent: We should. That would be scary.

It remains one of the worst deals in our state's history. The Cook Labor government is seeking to right that wrong. Under this budget, we are investing $8.3 million to progress negotiations for developing a business case to bring the freight rail network back into public hands.

As a government, I am proud of our record in investing in regional infrastructure, and I am proud that the Cook government is adding another $500 million to the strategic industrial fund, bringing it to a total of $1 billion. For the Goldfields, this translates into real investment into the Mungari Strategic Industrial Area to attract major job-creating projects and create enabling infrastructure. Our region is globally significant for our minerals deposits. We have a long history of mining innovation and are perfectly placed to harness investment into exciting new and emerging industries. I am very proud that the Minister for Mines and Petroleum is here today because he was there with me to announce that we would support local jobs in the Goldfields through an $8.9 million boost to the Exploration Incentive Scheme, which encourages mining exploration activities. We are also boosting fee-free TAFE courses, including an additional seven new construction courses added for 2026. The Cook Labor government is overseeing a major $10.3 billion investment in regional infrastructure, including $2.5 million to expand and upgrade the Kalgoorlie driver and vehicles service centre; $5 million towards the Water Bank project in Kalgoorlie–Boulder to boost recycling water supplies; $250 million to expand the regional road safety program; and $7.7 million to redevelop Bayley Street in Coolgardie, including safety and traffic-calming measures; installing a signalised pedestrian crossing on Maritana Street; and investing $2.5 million to replace 5,000 street lights across Kalgoorlie–Boulder.

We have world-class medical professionals in the Goldfields, but we know that living in the regions means that sometimes we have to travel to Perth for specialised treatment. In this budget, regional WA will benefit from a $121 million investment in regional health, including boosting the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme, increasing the fuel subsidy from 25c to 40c per kilometre, investing $1 million to develop a master plan for the future development of Kalgoorlie Health Campus and $9.9 million to transition the step-up, step-down program into a publicly run subacute mental health facility. We will continue to deliver $62.5 million for Laverton Hospital.

The Goldfields is a proud region. We are region of growth and innovation and a major contributor to WA's economic prosperity. I am proud that the Cook Labor government's WA housing plan supports housing projects across the region, freeing up land, cutting red tape and growing our construction workforce. We are establishing the Regional Housing Support Fund to provide grounds to support new housing and land supply across regional Western Australia, doubling the Government Regional Officers' Housing construction program to deliver over 100 new builds, and delivering additional stamp duty relief for first home buyers in regional Western Australia by raising stamp duty thresholds. We are also introducing a new Keystart low-deposit modular loan product. Locally, I am incredibly proud of our $20 million investment to deliver 40 new units at Pringle Village for seniors looking to downsize and live independently. This is important not only for people who choose to age in their community, but also for freeing up housing stock onto the market. Our members need to get used to me talking about this $20 million investment at Pringle Village. It is important to bear in mind that when the National Party came to Kalgoorlie to talk about its election commitments, it promised $40 million for that same stage 2 development. That got the community and residents of Pringle Village very hyped up and excited. Then the election costings came out, and guess what? There was nothing—zero—in it for Pringle Village. That was really disappointing. But, thankfully, our government had already committed $20 million, and planning is already underway. The fencing is already around that stage 2.

Mr Terry Healy: Well done.

Ms Ali Kent: Thank you.

As I said at the beginning, this budget is more than just numbers and forecasts. It is a road map for our state's future. Hand on heart, I can tell members that my electorate of Kalgoorlie is proud to be playing its part in our state's strong future. I will continue to be a strong regional voice for my electorate.

I am happy and proud to commend this bill to the house.

Mr Stephen Pratt (Jandakot) (7:43 pm): I am privileged to make my first budget reply speech in Parliament as the proud member for Jandakot. This is a solid Labor budget that delivers funding to key areas: jobs, housing supply, education, health and community infrastructure. The focus on education is to be commended, with a range of new initiatives, such as full-time kindy and the breakfast club, which I think is very important because I have a tough time getting my kids to eat breakfast early in the morning. I have three little ones and they always want something different. It is a constant juggle at home trying to work that out. I know a range of families across the suburbs get their kids to school on an empty stomach, so this is a great initiative. There is also the healthy, affordable lunches for schools and a range of infrastructure commitments.

I recently joined Premier Roger Cook and Minister Winton at Piara Waters Senior High School. Principal Carol Daniels is always very welcoming and proud to show us around her growing school. Stage 2 is under development as we speak and includes a new performing arts centre, teaching blocks and much more. It is scheduled for opening in 2027, with an investment over $70 million. Why am I talking about a school that is in the member for Oakford's electorate? It is a feeder school for primary school students attending Treeby Primary. It is a very important project to residents of Treeby in my electorate of Jandakot.

This budget signals that work will be underway to deliver on our commitment for a new primary school in Treeby East. This is welcome news to Principal Jane Wescott of the existing Treeby Primary School, as it will eventually take pressure off the growing student population that it is experiencing right now. Treeby Primary is a fantastic school. It is relatively new as well, being in a new suburb. I recently attended the school disco, and there was a one-off appearance of DJ Prattboy Slim. I know the students, teachers and parents who attended had a great time, as did I—one time only. Leading up to the election in March, the school P&C, through Amy Joncour, reached out to me about the school's undercover area, the area where the disco was held, explaining that this is where they have assemblies and events like their disco and that it needed to have air conditioning installed. I am very glad that we will be working to deliver on that commitment in the future for this growing school community at Treeby Primary School.

Atwell College, which is one of two high schools in the electorate of Jandakot, has integration with the Atwell Endorsed Education Support Centre. The principal of Atwell College, Darren Payton, and the deputy principal of the Endorsed Education Support Centre strongly advocated for projects to be delivered at that school for their students, ones that will benefit the whole school. There are students facing different difficulties and situations, so I am very glad that we were able to make a commitment on the back of the hard work they did developing a plan, designs and costings, making my life much easier around advocacy for that sort of thing. I saw Principal Darren Payton on Friday when I was down at Atwell Primary School representing Minister Winton to open the new—I am trying to remember what it is called now; I have got it in my notes somewhere—Intensive English Centre. This was a lovely event. This service caters for people who have come from different backgrounds overseas. Some are refugee families. It helps them learn a second language and quickly become more a part of the school community. It was a great event, and I was really proud to be there on behalf of Minister Winton.

Atwell is a lovely suburb in the City of Cockburn. I look forward to continuing the work to deliver for residents in Atwell with both the planned upgrades that we committed to at Atwell College and also to the sporting facilities adjacent to the school at Atwell Reserve. I will speak more on that later if I have time.

Another project I am excited to see come together is the Cool the Schools program. I look forward to delivering new air conditioning at Canning Vale Primary School as well as the commitment that I made to deliver some upgrades and refurbishments at Leeming Senior High School. I have met with the school leadership on a number of occasions already in my previous role in the upper house representing the South Metropolitan Region and now, as the local member for Jandakot, I will continue to do so. Leeming Senior High School performs very well as a high school comparatively to other schools across the board. It also has some great traditions. One of those is the annual "Straight Six", which involves a 60-metre sprint down the main corridor of the school. My office staff have thankfully signed me up to participate this year on 5 September. I can just see the videos of me doing a hammy like the fella at the footy tossing the coin the other week, so this is going to be something I had better do some training for, but it should be a bit of fun, too. I also attended the school as the location for the declaration of the result for the seat of Jandakot by the Western Australian Electoral Commission. I got to speak at that event to the year 12 politics and law class and I can assure members that the future is bright for the students in Ms De Beer's class at Leeming Senior High School.

Staying in Leeming, there are three great primary schools in the suburb—Leeming Primary School, West Leeming Primary School and Banksia Park Primary School. They will all be having some works as a result of the budget. Banksia Park is an especially nice school surrounded by native vegetation. They even get kangaroos visiting from time to time. The school P&C and principal Serena Gosnay were trying to get some funds together for a nature play area keeping in with the surrounds of the school. I am very proud to work towards delivering that for the school as well. I think it has been mentioned a number of times, but the public transport initiatives for school students and our fee-free TAFE are fantastic initiatives in the education and training space as well.

I also caught up with principal Craig Anderson at Harmony Primary School just a couple of weeks ago. It is not the sexiest election commitment, but the school has an issue with a patch of grass in a shared user agreement with the City of Cockburn. It has a large mound and is basically unusable, so we are working on some solutions to make that space usable for the kids and the local community in Atwell.

This budget still maintains the Cook and McGowan governments' strong focus on supporting WA families. This budget includes $963 million to support WA households, which is $200 million extra in this budget. The member for Maylands articulated the public transport flat fare to a tee. He managed to work out where his constituents could travel on that flat fee and how it will benefit his community. I think that is across the board and should be commended.

I want to give credit where credit is due to our Treasurer Rita Saffioti for delivering yet another budget surplus of $2.5 billion. Members opposite in here today put it down to luck. I think that is probably not the best way to attribute the credit that is due in terms of our financial management.

Ms Sandra Brewer: It's true.

Mr Stephen Pratt: If it is true, it means that the opposition is just unlucky and we are lucky, so may it continue.

Members would likely be aware that I have a keen interest in the area of health. I strongly encourage the community to take advantage of the free flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines that are available, given my personal experience of the last few weeks in the Pratt household! I did not get the free flu jab at Parliament that was offered to members because my kids were scared of getting the needle. We all booked to go together, and, as a result, I went down with the flu and had influenza A the week we were meant to get the needles. Look, it is just a lesson. Get it as soon as you can and protect yourself: it is free.

There is mention in the budget papers about money being allocated to put to bed some of the vaccine hesitation that has grown in the community. It is important that we do that because we all have a role to play in getting vaccinated. It is free and it protects your family, your loved ones and everyone in the community.

I cannot speak about health without referring to the women's and babies' hospital. I am excited about this project being delivered in the Murdoch Health and Knowledge Precinct. Again, it is just outside the boundaries of my electorate, but it will bring great benefit to people who are having their first babies, bringing their bubs into the world and creating a family for the first time. It has a great connection with Jandakot Airport, which will service people who may have complications coming from regional areas. I look forward to us delivering on that.

Mr Terry Healy: And the car park!

Mr Stephen Pratt: The member for Southern River is hot on this. There will be more parking. We cannot go wrong. We need more parking at hospitals as they are busy places. The member is not wrong. Bring it on.

Mr Daniel Pastorelli: It will be a game changer.

Mr Stephen Pratt: It will.

It was also mentioned that we have had good financial times in terms of the state government finances and that there is no vision for the future or preparing for what lies ahead. In the health budget papers, members will see the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, which was an initiative of this government. It is basically a fund that is growing in perpetuity. The sky is the limit on what impact that will have for our community in terms of health research, innovation and the commercialisation of products going forward. That is currently now up to $291.7 million over the forward estimates. It is a great initiative that we introduced and delivered as an election commitment. I am very proud to see that continue to grow and have an impact across WA.

I am probably going over what I planned to speak to, but I need to talk about Metronet. Members opposite continue to talk down our plans to expand the public transport network. I think as they continue to do that, they will continue to lose elections. This is a real game changer for Western Australia. The more members opposite talk it down, the more I think about plans like the MAX light rail. The Liberal Party was never genuine about it, and that is why it did not happen.

Ms Sandra Brewer: We were only talking down the overspending of your own budgets.

Mr Stephen Pratt: Well, the member for Cottesloe is doing much more than that, I think.

Ms Sandra Brewer: The overspending of the Labor budget—

The Acting Speaker (Mrs Magenta Marshall): Member.

Several members interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Members.

Mr Terry Healy interjected.

The Acting Speaker: Member for Southern River.

Mr Stephen Pratt: That is right. Cottesloe has had the luxury of a train line so no-one else should have one—right?

Mr Rhys Williams: I think in her inaugural she mentioned putting it underground. That would be a cheap project!

Mr Stephen Pratt: That would.

I am very proud to have joined members at the opening of the Thornlie–Cockburn line. I travelled along and got off at each stop at all the new and upgraded stations along that line. It was serendipitous when I got to go to a Dockers game, which I rarely get to do. I jumped on at Ranford Station and met some local Leeming residents as I was getting on. At Nicholson Road, who jumped on the train? It was the member for Southern River, Terry Healy. It was meant to happen!

Mr Terry Healy: I sleep there!

Mr Stephen Pratt: I would probably discourage that.

We had a photo on the train and it looked like it was a set-up, but I can assure everyone that it was not. It was just magical. It is great to see us delivering on those commitments, and it will continue into the future. As I said, keep talking it down and I will be very glad to keep talking it up.

I have gone over what I said I would, but I need to refer to the widening of Kwinana Freeway south, which, especially in Atwell, people are extremely happy to see. I will probably get an opportunity in future to talk about some of the local sporting clubs getting upgrades across the electorate of Jandakot.

Ms Sook Yee Lai (Bibra Lake) (7:58 pm): I rise today to speak in strong support of our Cook Labor government's 2025–26 state budget. I would also like to congratulate the Treasurer on her responsible fiscal management to deliver consecutive budget surpluses. This year's budget reflects our government's ongoing commitment to doing what is right and building a stronger, resilient and more prosperous Western Australia. It is responsible in its fiscal management, yet ambitious in its vision for our future. This budget delivers for Western Australians and most importantly for the people of Bibra Lake.

I am proud to serve as the inaugural member for Bibra Lake. My electorate is rich in educational opportunities, environmental beauty and economic potential. It is the home of the Murdoch Health and Knowledge Precinct, a curated precinct for health research, medical care, higher education and cutting-edge business innovation. The precinct includes Fiona Stanley Hospital, St John of God Murdoch Hospital, Murdoch University, South Metropolitan TAFE and the Murdoch train and bus interchange. It will include the new women's and babies' hospital. I am very much looking forward to seeing work on that hospital beginning.

My electorate is home to WA Wildlife, known previously as Native Arc and the Wetland Centre. My electorate's namesake, Bibra Lake, is the stunning centrepiece of Beeliar Regional Park. It remains a popular regional playground and a bustling picnic area that people from all walks of life and all parts of the community can enjoy. Bibra Lake is also a place of entertainment and economy, with a plethora of small businesses and big-name drawcards like Adventure World; Cockburn Ice Arena; PowerPlay—my favourite—which is electric go-karting; OuttaBounds, the driving range; and, of course, Flip Out, which is very popular. I would say that my electorate is the fun electorate!

Bibra Lake encompasses the suburbs of Bibra Lake, Coolbellup, Kardinya, Hamilton Hill, Murdoch, North Lake, South Lake, Spearwood and Samson. I have to say this because it is a new electorate and a lot of people, including my own constituents, do not know where they are. I have said it now. Each of those suburbs will benefit from this government's budget and commitments. I commend the Treasurer for delivering a strong surplus-backed budget that reflects her and her team's great fiscal management. With an operational surplus of $2.5 billion for 2024–25 and $2.4 billion for 2025–26, we are indeed the nation's leading state in economic growth and prosperity.

I am proud that the Cook Labor government has made significant investment in education and training to strengthen our local economies, protect our unique environment and support community wellbeing. As a former educator, I am excited to see in this year's budget an enduring commitment to education. It reflects a Labor government's understanding that education is not just a service—it is the foundation of a fair society and a strong economy. As I said in my first speech, investing in education is investing in our future, making for a resilient and strong economy. Statewide, this budget delivers major investments in education, with $1.5 billion for education initiatives, infrastructure and the expansion of critical programs such as the School Breakfast Program, with $28 million committed statewide, from which students in my electorate of Bibra Lake will benefit. The government has provided $89 million for the second round of the WA Student Assistance Payment program, which families in my electorate can utilise to purchase school essentials, to deliver real cost-of-living relief for families in my electorate of Bibra Lake.

The budget includes a $331 million boost to vocational education, which encompasses fee-free TAFE courses, apprenticeship subsidies, modern equipment and targeted trade training to deliver local training opportunities in construction, renewable energy, health services and cybersecurity. The speciality in my electorate of Bibra Lake is cybersecurity. In fact, I was encouraged after chatting with a mum from my electorate at a residents' group meeting. She told me that she is excited to take up her new fee-free TAFE course and is looking forward to, hopefully, re-entering the workforce after being a stay-at-home mum for a couple of years. She told me that this opportunity would not be possible if she had to pay for her TAFE course. I am really proud of the investment in training in this budget.

For my local families, I am excited to deliver on commitments such as South Lake Primary School and Spearwood Alternative School each receiving $23,000 for industrial fans to improve the overall comfort of students and teachers in the undercover areas. I have experienced sitting in undercover areas for assemblies during the heat of summer early on in the year—and sweating beads! I am really excited to deliver those industrial fans, which are also known as Big Ass Fans! That is indeed their name.

Coolbellup Learning Centre will receive $30,000 for upgrades to facilities to support students with complex and diverse needs, in addition to an industrial fan for the undercover area to further strengthen the education support centre.

Port School, which is an independent school that supports students in my electorate to re-engage with learning, will receive $40,000 for new a vehicle and laptops to enable it to assist with outreach programs and deliver mobile education and digital learning resources. Southwell Primary School will receive $45,000 to upgrade its kindy and pre-primary spaces to ensure that our youngest learners start their education journey in quality environments. South Lake Early Learning Centre will receive $50,000 for a kitchen upgrade to ensure a healthier food service and early food literacy for children in care. Coolbellup Community School will receive $54,000 for an industrial fan—also know as Big Ass Fans—and iPads, a critical step in modernising classrooms and supporting blended learning approaches. Phoenix Primary School will receive $60,000 for new security gates and flooring to improve both safety and accessibility. Bibra Lake Primary School will receive $70,000 to construct a much-needed shade structure to promote sun safety and encourage outdoor play. Samson Primary School will receive $84,000 for new iPads to make things easier for students who need to utilise devices for learning, putting up-to-date tech learning tools directly in student hands. Newton Primary School and East Hamilton Hill Primary School will respectively receive $85,000 to resurface their outdoor basketball courts, for which the local school community has been advocating for a long time. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to work on and deliver that commitment. In a joint commitment with the member for Fremantle, Fremantle College will receive $300,000 to heat its indoor swimming pool to provide local recreation and training facilities for students and families.

As part of the big investment in education that will be delivered over this term of government, Kardinya Primary School will receive $700,000 to install signalised crossings on South Street near Pinewood Avenue. Anyone who knows South Street knows that it is busy. This investment will mean that students living in Bibra Lake are able to walk and ride safely to school. Spearwood Primary School will receive $2.2 million for new air-conditioning units as part of the Cook Labor government's Cool the Schools package, an initiative that the school community is very much looking forward to given that Spearwood Primary is more than 100 years old. Lakeland Senior High School will receive $2.6 million to upgrade the landscape and school oval.

The Cook Labor government understands that Western Australians care about the environment, and that is why the 2025–26 state budget has committed $17 million for urban greening and tree planting; $63 million of additional resources to prevent and respond to biosecurity threats; $337 million for a residential battery scheme to ensure that 100,000 households can store renewable power and help secure WA's energy future; and $50 million to support local battery manufacturers to make batteries in WA, like Magellan Power, a local battery maker in my electorate of Bibra Lake.

The local environment in my electorate is not just a backdrop, although it is very obvious when people drive through it because they see the lake and bushlands. Bibra Lake is home to vital wetlands and bushland and is home to our native flora and fauna. The community wants to see those places protected, not just for today but for generations to come. From the highly successful Containers for Change program, which diverts recyclables from landfill, to the reclassification of land, such as that originally reserved for Roe 8 and Roe 9 in my electorate of Bibra Lake, to regional parks, our government is delivering for our environment. That is why I am proud that the following local environmental initiatives have been funded in this year's budget. The Wetlands Conservation Society WA will receive $11,000 to be invested to support the fox monitoring program at the Beeliar Wetlands, a critical step in protecting local native species like the snake-necked turtle and quendas. The Wetlands Centre Cockburn will receive $31,000 to upgrade the amphitheatre and nursery, as they play an invaluable role in environmental education for schools and community groups. WA Wildlife will receive $33,000 for facilities upgrades, enhancing animal rehabilitation infrastructure and community engagement facilities. The South Lake Ottey Family and Neighbourhood Centre will receive $50,000 for the installation of solar panels, lowering emissions and reducing long-term operational costs. Bibra Lake Reserve, which is part of Beeliar Regional Park, thrives on community-led restorations, and state funds empower joint efforts with the Wetland Centre and WA Wildlife to enhance biodiversity, improve green cover and implement conservation and education.

The economic foundations laid by the Cook Labor government continue to keep Western Australia strong. We have record low unemployment, have kept our AAA credit rating and we have a record high number of infrastructure projects in the pipeline. As the Treasurer said, "It's the poles, ports, pipes and wires." Even though she said it is not glamorous, I would say that it is. It appeals to stakeholders who are looking to invest and live in this state. It gives confidence to investors and communities to thrive in our growing state. This budget expands on these economic strengths by supporting businesses, delivering new jobs in construction and clean energy, and making targeted cost-of-living investments. This includes our energy bill relief for every household and increased concessions for those in need. These commitments coupled with our transport upgrades, such as the Thornlie–Cockburn Link, make it easier for families to travel to and from home, school and work.

Importantly, the government recognises that the economy lives and breathes in local industries. Businesses and community sports places are where people work, volunteer, participate and contribute. I am proud to be able to deliver on community-building investments that are being made in my electorate of Bibra Lake. There is $7,000 to the Cockburn Community Men's Shed for a CNC router to allow members to create a wider range of projects that are not only rewarding for the members themselves but also benefit the community. There is $20,000 to the Bibra Lake Scout Group to purchase equipment such as a trailer to transport equipment for events and camps. There is $24,000 to Fremantle Cockburn Hockey Club, $25,000 to Cockburn City Soccer Club, $50,000 to Murdoch University Melville Cricket Club, and $70,000 to Coolbellup Sporting Association to be directed at upgrading sporting facilities. As we all know, that is where anyone can have the opportunity to participate and belong. There is $30,000 to Bibra Lake "Bandicoots" Junior Football Club for upgrades to equipment and facilities to empower the next generation of local athletes. There is $40,000 to Friends of Community Inc for the purchase of a new vehicle to strengthen the reach of grassroots community support services. There is $50,000 to Zonta House Refuge Association, which is a shared commitment with the member for Riverton, for a support vehicle and IT equipment to assist women and children in family and domestic violence situations. There is $70,000 to Melville City Hockey Club, which is shared with the member for Bateman, for new scoreboards and infrastructure to enhance the professional presentation and functionality of community sports.

There is $75,000 for CCTV at Murdoch Drive pedestrian underpass to improve community safety and support active transport corridors. I want to thank the constituents who brought this to my attention while I was doorknocking. I have strongly advocated for this asset to keep the community safe. There is $90,000 to the City of Cockburn RSL sub-branch for a new outdoor toilet block and laptops to ensure that the sub-branch has the capacity to grow and expand its services. There is $100,000 to Cockburn Lakes Amateur Football Club for lighting upgrades to support increased participation and safer night-time training and $100,000 to the Spanish Club WA to upgrade facilities and improve inclusiveness through new equipment and infrastructure. It is a testament to this government's commitment to celebrating multiculturalism and community heritage.

The 2025–26 state budget reflects what good government looks like. It is one that listens, plans and delivers, and is a good measure of the pulse on the communities we live in. For the people of Bibra Lake, this budget provides significant and meaningful support for schools, sporting clubs, environmental initiatives and the everyday services that hold our communities together. It is a budget built on Labor values—fairness, opportunity, equity. The budget will chart a strong and resilient course for our state's future. I commend the Cook Labor government for its vision, discipline and unwavering commitment to the people of Western Australia. I proudly commend the bill to the house.

Mr Hugh Jones (Darling Range) (8:16 pm): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I also rise to speak about the Appropriation (Recurrent 2025–26) Bill 2025 and the Appropriation (Capital 2025–26) Bill 2025. I think I am the ultimate speaker today, and will helpfully keep my comments short—because I deliver!

As I think I have said in this house before, I was in the Navy for 30 years and travelled widely around the world. I have seen a lot of places and some places that pale in comparison with Western Australia, so it has given me a great appreciation of how good we have it in Western Australia and in Australia. Therefore, it galls me when I sometimes hear negative commentary. In my view, it is a great bill that provides cost-of-living relief and also, on Darling Range itself, recognises that the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale is the third fastest growing local government area in Australia, so we need to deliver infrastructure. We heard arguments from members over the other side about, you know, the chicken and the egg, and not needing to deliver infrastructure because there are not enough people or, when the wind changes, it might be that there are too many people and not enough infrastructure. It is a challenging area and I am very glad to have had the support of the Treasurer in providing great infrastructure during the last term of government and for again allowing me to make some honest commitments for the people of Darling Range that will be fulfilled.

Across the budget, there is $963,000,000 in cost-of-living relief for families, which includes residential battery rebates and no-interest loans for those who qualify. The second round of the WA student assistance payments are $150 for kindy and primary school kids and $250 for secondary school kids, which help with the cost of living for, ideally, things at school. I am a member of four, I think possibly five, school boards now, after having not wanted to be on any. Voluntary contributions are a recurrent theme, and this assistance payment will help schools to draw in greater contributions. The KidSport vouchers are $300. We honoured our doubling of that promised earlier, from $150 to $300, and have increased the scope to scouts and girl guides. I know the scouts and girl guides in my area who qualify will very much appreciate the ability to draw on KidSport.

I have made a few commitments out of my member allowance, or electoral allowance—I am not sure what it is called—to give to these organisations. I do not do any posts about it; I just give them some money that goes to families that cannot afford membership fees. The scouts groups deliver that on my behalf. They do not even say it is from me. They just make it affordable for those kids.

I go back to the $2.80 flat fare from 1 January. What a great announcement. Everyone knows that the Byford rail extension will be delivered this year. That will allow people in Byford and surrounding areas, including Mundijong, with a review of the bus services, to commute to work or school, to use the service for entertainment purposes or to go to Optus Stadium to watch the footy and see the Dockers continue to dominate. It will cost just $2.80. One of the features in Byford is that some of the streets are narrow, despite the new builds. There is an issue with people parking cars on the streets and congestion. With a reliable and very affordable public transport system, families can make decisions about divesting themselves of a car and maybe just have one car in the family and the other person can commute to work. I think the argument over the other side was about the cost of running cars these days. People can choose to use public transport.

There is $1.4 billion in the budget to boost housing supply and affordability. We are investing in enabling infrastructure for a further 33,000 homes, which is included in Serpentine–Jarrahdale, stamp duty relief, access to shared equity loans and new modular loan products through Keystart. An amount of $2.7 billion has been allocated to support future growth and create WA jobs by diversifying the economy and delivering our Made in WA plan by making more things locally, including batteries. There is $1.4 billion to expand and enhance health and mental health services, including more doctors and nurses, additional investment in infrastructure, a lot more beds and progressing our election commitments that will enhance our health system. In addition, there is $1.8 billion for education and training.

Within Darling Range, obviously the Treasurer stole my thunder earlier when responding to the opposition and talking about some of the things happening in Byford, Serpentine–Jarrahdale and Armadale. Some of the local projects include $4 million to establish a new driver vehicle services centre in the Byford–Armadale area. Obviously, the government will look for a suitable location. That is a great boon for the local economy in terms of employees. It will also reduce travel costs and time away from work to go to Success and Cannington's driver vehicle services centre. The Cannington depot will undergo a trial to extend its opening hours.

An amount of $17.1 million has been allocated to construct roundabouts on Kargotich Road, building on the $18 million that the state government provided to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale in its last term of government. It enabled upgrades to be made to Kargotich Road, Soldiers Road and Warton Road. We made another commitment of $17 million for three roundabouts on Kargotich Road. Because of the redistribution, two of those roundabouts are now in Oakford so I can only claim one of them. I was very saddened to hear yesterday morning that there was a fatality on the corner of Kargotich Road and Gossage Road. That is the roundabout that the government will deliver for the shire. I heard the deputy shire president, Tricia Duggin, on the radio this morning talking about that terrible accident and how the shire was looking forward to delivering that roundabout to increase safety in the area.

Apparently, I have only three minutes left so I will move on to the Tonkin Highway extension. Again, it is a fantastic project, coupled with the Thomas Road duplication. That will take a great deal of traffic, particularly heavy traffic, off Hopkinson Road, Kargotich Road and South Western Highway that causes congestion and frustration for many people in Byford. I live just off Thomas Road. I have had increasing difficulty getting onto Thomas Road, particularly during peak hour. I really look forward to those works going ahead on Thomas Road in particular. I have seen the surveyors out there mapping it all out and getting ready to commence work later this year. That work will take a couple of years. After that, internal traffic will reduce in Byford. Also, with the introduction of the Byford rail extension, I expect lots of people will take advantage of the $2.80 fare and look forward to the ease of commuting. People at Onpoint Automotive Service Centre in Armadale find it difficult to get on to South West Highway. Hopefully, more people will get on the train and reduce the amount of cars around the place.

I turn to tourism. We have committed $5 million for stage 1 of the Jarrahdale trails centre. I was up in Jarrahdale yesterday for the opening of a car park at the top of Kitty's Gorge. It takes advantage of the attractive nature of Jarrahdale for trails.

Mr David Scaife: It's a great hike.

Mr Hugh Jones: Yes, it is a lovely hike. The cars will not be in front of people's houses; they will be in a car park. I was really happy to see that done.

I wanted to have a go at the opposition—a bit more so.

Several members interjected.

Mr Hugh Jones: It is typical of the Nationals, I suppose. The Nationals did have a go at running candidates in densely populated areas. I had a Nationals candidate run against me. He is a great guy. I have nothing against him. All power to him. When he ran, he was a well-regarded councillor but he has since resigned.

One of the things we have delivered in the last state election is money towards Keirnan Park, a $100 million sports project in Mundijong. We originally committed $20 million, increasing to $22 million. The concept was created 15 years ago but we made a commitment at the 2021 election and delivered the funds. I was happy to go to the sod turn the other day. It has taken four years to get to the sod turn stage. I am not criticising the shire. It is just a fact of life that some projects take a while, particularly in certain areas. I went to the sod turn, which was great.

During the election I made a $10 million commitment for basketball in the recreation centre. The Nationals made a commitment of $30 million towards moving netball from Mundijong into Keirnan Park. I acknowledge that the netball facilities in my electorate are not good. I do foot some blame to the shire for that, for not keeping them up to scratch. There is a plan to have netball at Keirnan Park—stage 1C. The Nationals made a commitment. It missed out 1B, which was moving BMX; it went straight to 1C. The Treasury letter to the Leader of the Nationals WA acknowledged the Nationals had submitted costings on 7 February. They were examined and Treasury noted that the requested costings did not represent a complete list of all election commitments announced by the Nationals. Treasury also noted that a number of commitments submitted for costings had unclear funding sources or assumed a partial or total funding allocation from existing programs. The Nationals committed $30.4 million for netball to move to Keirnan Park. The costings went in on 7 February. Around 13 February, the Leader of the Nationals WA, along with the candidate, were down in Mundijong. It was a 40-degree day. A whole bunch of netballers were out there in their uniforms. There was a whole bunch of Nationals corflutes and an announcement was made about netball. I pride myself on my honesty. At that stage of the election cycle, we knew that the Nationals were not going to win. I do not want to be arrogant about it but Antony Green —

Mr Peter Rundle interjected.

Mr Hugh Jones: We will still honour those commitments. Antony Green predicted that the Nationals would not win. On 13 February there was a story in the local paper reporting that the Nationals had committed $40 million towards netball.

It was a $30 million uncosted commitment that became $40 million in the space of a week. One of the comments from the candidate—it was a good comment—was that he was proud to make Saturday's $40 million promise after jumping through lots of hoops with his party's bean counters. He had a chat with the bean counters and created another $10 million for a commitment that was never going to be honoured. As part of electioneering, we make commitments to try to win elections, but it is particularly galling to me to get a whole bunch of netballers out there in that instance, in 40 degree temperatures, with a bunch of corflutes to take photographs, but with no prospect of delivering the project. The netball court itself is stage 1C of the project, so would not be delivered in four years anyway, because of the nature of the works. I was really disappointed with that. It has been a burning issue ever since.

Mr Terry Healy: We wouldn't get away with that.

Mr Hugh Jones: No. We put in our costings. I have to fight with the Treasurer for what I can deliver. We make honest commitments and will deliver everything that we have committed to. That is part of it. Electioneering is fine, but making casualties of young girls who were really optimistic about having something that will never happen is pretty tragic.

I am very proud about what we have done. I have got a whole bunch of commitments—about 40-odd small commitments—that I will talk about at a later stage. I thank the Treasurer for making sure that Darling Range was looked after and that our commitments are honoured.

I commend the bills to the house.

Debate adjourned, on motion by Mr David Michael (Leader of the House).

House adjourned at 8:32:09 pm

Questions on notice answered today are available on the Parliament of Western Australia's website