Opposition attack over sale of 6PR total hypocrisy

25/8/94

The State Opposition's old guard of WA Inc players are again starting to show their true colours, according to Services Minister Graham Kierath.

Mr Kierath said today that the attack by the Opposition Leader over the sale of 6PR was total hypocrisy and double standards.

"He launched into an attack over the Government being prepared to hand 6PR to the Eastern States, which it has not done, and yet in the Estimates Committee hearing at Parliament today the Opposition launched into another attack on the Government for awarding the aircraft contract to a local company," Mr Kierath said.

"Mr Taylor's zealous support of the local group's bid for 6PR is interesting.

"I wonder if that support will still be there if at the end of the day the local bid is considerably less than other bids.  Obviously Mr Taylor would be prepared to throw away taxpayers' dollars to keep the station local.

"Then again, Mr Taylor was one of the key players in the former Government's team which was expert at throwing away taxpayers' money and then forgetting what had happened."

The Minister said the Government's decision to go to full and open tender was to ensure that the whole process was done with the utmost propriety, unlike the actions of the previous Government which was good at doing deals and selling off things to its mates.

Mr Kierath said he was always suspicious of a politician who found it necessary to start two sentences out of a nine sentence media statement with the words "the truth is.."

In one of these sentences, Mr Taylor claimed the electors of Helena had kept 6PR's talkback lines running hot over the sale issue.

"I listen to 6PR too, but the talkback callers generally do not say which area they come from so how can Mr Taylor say it was electors from Helena?", Mr Kierath said.

"The truth is, Mr Taylor??"

Media contact:  Brian Coulter (09) 222 9595 / (09) 481 2133