Can Albo fix our 'messy' gas market?
And as the ACCC warns of a gas shortfall, the Government has launched a review into the rules governing the gas industry and there's increasing speculation a gas reservation scheme could be on the table. So, will that help resolve the "hodge podge" regulation in the gas system?
Patricia Karvelas and Mel Clarke break it all down on Politics Now.
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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
WA Ag Minister laughs off reporter's nude run threat
The State Government has laughed off a reporter's threat to run a lap fully nude around the future Burswood race track, while insisting its $217 million budget for the track and amphitheatre is realistic. The Opposition has poured doubt on the Government's costings for the controversial project, which was announced in February during the election campaign and doesn't yet have a formal business case. The West Australian's Ben Harvey, in his Sunday Times column, said he was 'so certain the race track won't come in on time and budget' that he pledged to run a lap fully nude on the race track's opening day if he was wrong. Government Minister Jackie Jarvis suggested the tongue-in-cheek bet would be extra motivation to keep spending in check, before realising he was betting the budget would blow out. 'It's an entertainment precinct, I'm not sure that's the type of entertainment we had in mind,' she told reporters on Sunday. 'It's a quandary. I mean we want to be careful with taxpayers' money, we might just have to have a closed track option that day!' Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas is confident the nude run won't happen, declaring the project will run over budget. 'The Minister admitted to me the $217 million dollar cost of the project is a guess based on draft assessments,' he said. 'This is a Government who don't listen and don't care, they do what they want and spend what they want. And they don't follow the rules. 'Minister Saffioti couldn't even confirm in estimates if the race track will be assessed by Infrastructure WA.' Labor confirmed a business case for the Burswood entertainment precinct is 'in development' during Budget estimates, when the Premier was put under pressure to explain why the plan has not been submitted to Infrastructure WA for independent assessment. 'I can confirm that the proposal has not been submitted, and Infrastructure WA has not yet been provided with a business case for assessment,' Mr Cook said. Liberal leader Basil Zemplias at a rally against Burswood race track at Parliament House Credit: Andrew Ritchie / The West Australian 'Obviously it is a project that at this stage is estimated to be over $100 million once the design and business case has been completed. It would, as a matter of course be referred to Infrastructure WA for its views.' A group of companies was awarded the contract to design and build the project this month, as the Cook Government aims to finish the racetrack in time for the opening round of the V8 Supercars in 2027. The consortium that includes Seymour Whyte, Civmec and Aurecon was the same group behind Perth's Boorloo pedestrian and cycling bridge that opened in East Perth in December and was $50 million over budget.
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
No joke. Opposition says Labor's $217 million Burswood budget must be put to the test
The State Government has laughed off a reporter's threat to run a lap fully nude around the future Burswood race track, while insisting its $217 million budget for the track and amphitheatre is realistic. The Opposition has poured doubt on the Government's costings for the controversial project, which was announced in February during the election campaign and doesn't yet have a formal business case. The West Australian's Ben Harvey, in his Sunday Times column, said he was 'so certain the race track won't come in on time and budget' that he pledged to run a lap fully nude on the race track's opening day if he was wrong. Government Minister Jackie Jarvis suggested the tongue-in-cheek bet would be extra motivation to keep spending in check, before realising he was betting the budget would blow out. 'It's an entertainment precinct, I'm not sure that's the type of entertainment we had in mind,' she told reporters on Sunday. 'It's a quandary. I mean we want to be careful with taxpayers' money, we might just have to have a closed track option that day!' Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas is confident the nude run won't happen, declaring the project will run over budget. 'The Minister admitted to me the $217 million dollar cost of the project is a guess based on draft assessments,' he said. 'This is a Government who don't listen and don't care, they do what they want and spend what they want. And they don't follow the rules. 'Minister Saffioti couldn't even confirm in estimates if the race track will be assessed by Infrastructure WA.' Labor confirmed a business case for the Burswood entertainment precinct is 'in development' during Budget estimates, when the Premier was put under pressure to explain why the plan has not been submitted to Infrastructure WA for independent assessment. 'I can confirm that the proposal has not been submitted, and Infrastructure WA has not yet been provided with a business case for assessment,' Mr Cook said. 'Obviously it is a project that at this stage is estimated to be over $100 million once the design and business case has been completed. It would, as a matter of course be referred to Infrastructure WA for its views.' A group of companies was awarded the contract to design and build the project this month, as the Cook Government aims to finish the racetrack in time for the opening round of the V8 Supercars in 2027. The consortium that includes Seymour Whyte, Civmec and Aurecon was the same group behind Perth's Boorloo pedestrian and cycling bridge that opened in East Perth in December and was $50 million over budget.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Coalition willing to discuss further savings to NDIS
The Coalition says it stands ready to revisit NDIS spending for a second time, after the prime minister flagged further savings may be needed. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government "[would] always look for spending to produce better value", after he was asked whether he would revisit NDIS spending, which is projected to cost $64 billion a year by 2029. "We need to make sure that it is made more sustainable … the vision of the NDIS wasn't that those sort of numbers that you just quoted go on the system," he said. "But you've got to be responsible about how you do it and work through with the sector because it's very easy for vulnerable people to feel like their support is threatened. We don't want that." Asked this morning whether the Coalition was prepared to have a conversation with the government on further reforms to cut costs, Shadow Treasurer Ted O'Brien responded: "Yes, we would". "Let's see what the government brings forward. But it is absolutely key that they have to stop their spending spree," Mr O'Brien told Sky News. Last term, the government and opposition acknowledged that the cost of the NDIS was rising so quickly that it would rapidly become "unsustainable" without change. The major parties agreed to a suite of reforms designed to slow its growing expense from 13.8 per cent a year to 8 per cent by 2026. Those changes set stricter rules for what supports were available, how plans were managed, and laid the groundwork for a new scheme to be run by the states that could support some people with milder disability, who were joining the NDIS in the absence of more appropriate supports. The reforms are projected to save the budget $19.3 billion over four years. But while costs are falling, the latest data from the NDIS shows the scheme's expense is growing at a rate of 10.6 per cent a year — on track to reach the government's target, but still well above it. The federal budget is forecasted to remain in deficit for the next decade. Leaked Treasury advice to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, revealed by the ABC last week, warned that the budget cannot be fixed without raising taxes and cutting spending. And after securing a dominant majority in the parliament, Labor is turning its mind to how to restructure the budget and put it on a more sustainable trajectory. The treasurer has said he is prepared to lose some political skin to do so. "I am personally willing to grasp the nettle … I am prepared to do my bit," Mr Chalmers said in an address to the National Press Club last month. Speaking on Sky News, Mr O'Brien said all options should remain on the table for the coming productivity roundtable, where the issues of tax reform and fixing the budget will feature. Mr Albanese said the government was not considering a proposal to lift the goods and services tax in exchange for lowering income taxes — a move that would flatten how much tax individuals pay. Mr O'Brien warned the government against dismissing ideas out of hand. "The prime minister and the treasurer claimed to be open-minded on everything, but since then, we find out actually: 'We're open-minded, but we don't want to talk about industrial relations. We're open-minded on tax, but we don't want to talk about the GST.' And so my fear here is Labor might actually have an agenda already, and that this is nothing but a talk fest," he said. "[We support tax reform] if it's done holistically, if it's looking at more efficient taxation, if you're looking at fixing up what is currently a mess with Labor being overly reliant on income taxes."
