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Opposition leader in the Upper House Norman Moore has hit out at the State Government's record in the Kimberley and Pilbara. He said last week that North West communities were promised vital roads, high priority health facilities and a swimming pool but instead have been given hollow platitudes by the Gallop Labor Government in its regional development policy. Mr Moore said the Gallop Government's regional development policy was breathtakingly flippant with pleasant-sounding phrases ignoring the grim reality of unsatisfactory health services and incomplete roads. He said Labor had no integrity in its regional development policy while it had only allocated seven percent of the funding to complete health facilities in the Kimberley and 14 percent of the funding required to complete the redevelopment of the Port Hedland Health Service. |
It had also failed to complete the Tom Price-Karratha road and misled Roebourne ratepayers about a promise to build a pool. Prior to the last election Labor had promised to: * "Rebuild hospitals across the State" (Regional Health Policy); * "Ensure that all police stations are staffed to their authorised strengths" (More Police Better Policing in Regional WA); and * "Ensure that road projects in regional areas...are given priority" (Getting Transport Back on Track). But Dr Gallop had so far failed to honour these promises. "Despite the Premier's promises, every country police district is understaffed, country health has been neglected and the Tom Price-Karratha road is far from completion," he said. |
"Country people have every right to be asking what the difference is between these commitments from Dr Gallop and his government and the ones they have already broken." Opposition Leader Colin Barnett outlined the Liberal's regional plan at the Liberal Party State Conference. His speech is available from the Leader of the Opposition's website at www.loop.wa.gov.au. |