Labour Party to 'come clean' on funding election promises

18/10/96

Premier Richard Court today called on the Labor Party to "come clean" on how it was going to fund extravagant election promises it had already made in the lead up to the State election.

"The Labor Party in Government inflicted needless pain on ordinary Western Australians through reckless financial management with the SGIC losses alone costing the equivalent of 11 new hospitals," Mr Court said.

"The Labor Party must now give a commitment to fully detail the costings of these promises and how they will fund them before they make any other promises prior to the State election," he said.

Mr Court said that the Labor Party to date did not have a financial plan for the future of the State.

"This week in Parliament I challenged the Labor Party to join with the State Government and release a financial plan for the future of the State during the first week of the State election," he said.

"They could not give that commitment because they do not have a financial plan.

"They gave the spurious answer that they needed to know the full details of the State finances from Treasury yet this has not prevented them from making extravagant election promises already.

"In the absence of a financial plan, they have a responsibility to spell out in detail the costings of their election promises to date.

"It may be the case that they do not actually know how much their election promises cost.

"The people of Western Australia will not accept unfunded election promises and the Labor Party has a responsibility to explain how it would pay for them.

Media Contact: Casey Cahill 222 9475