Labor's promise to provide aquatic centre ignores accountability measures

18/11/96

The Labor Party's promise to provide a $1.2 million aquatic centre in Australind completely ignored the accountability measures it promised in recent months, Sport and Recreation Minister Norman Moore said today.

"The State Opposition is obviously following Ros Kelly's whiteboard affair example and is intent on giving away money to marginal seats," the Minister said.

"The Government has a proper system in place which evaluates funding applications from community groups from all over the State in order to ensure fair treatment of all applicants."

An announcement on CSRFF funds will be made in February, as scheduled every year, once all applications have been accessed by an independent committee.

"The Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Fund has a series of checks and balances in place which keep the system honest and free of the sort of political intervention we have seen today from the Labor Party," Mr Moore said.

"Nearby Bunbury has also made an application to upgrade its aquatic facilities and this application will be considered, along with Australind's."

Mr Moore said the Government was very sympathetic to both applications and had an excellent record of providing aquatic facilities in the South-West. Funds had already been provided for Busselton, Margaret River and Waroona.

The centre promised by the ALP today was in the seat of Mitchell, which was held by the Labor Party by 0.5 of a per cent.

Mr Moore also rejected Dr Geoff Gallop's claim that the Government had promised Australind a swimming pool four years ago.

"When the Coalition came to Government, the CSRFF fund had been drained by the previous Government," the Minister said.

"They had fully allocated grants for three years in advance and those who had missed out would have had to wait another three years to apply again.

"However, the Coalition injected an extra $11 million into the fund to ensure that the community had annual access to grants."

Mr Moore said today's announcement was hypocritical.

"The ALP are always ready to accuse the Government of pork barrelling, yet they clearly think it is acceptable practice for the Labor Party, as proved by today's announcement," he said.

Media contact: Anabel Gomez 321 1444 or 222 9595