Financial skills are lacking

A LIBERAL MP’s latest newsletter was a soothing read. In addition, it was timely to read about the Government’s contribution to health, education with an improved use of the infrastructure to the benefit of our community.

However, again there was no mention of where the finance is coming from or if there be sufficient work available for our mums and dads in the community to pay back the huge State debt that we are now handing on to our grandchildren.

One has to ask is it possible the newsletter will reassure readers that the citizens will continue to have future access to aged care and affordable health facilities, as they will be required to work until they are well past the present retirement age.

The citizens of WA provide the public finance for, among other things, MPs’ present salary that is reviewed upwards regardless of economic conditions and the politicians’ overseas study trips, business travel, accommodation and meals, plus a proportion of the living costs.

In addition, they fund the politicians’ office administration and pay for staff employed including their travel and superannuation and the cost of media spin to support promises made in assisting the Government implement its mandate. Unfortunately, for more than a decade there has been no audit of any government department.

Furthermore, in the newsletter there was no mention of any cost over-run for most of the big construction investments undertaken by Government in recent years.

For almost a decade when the State’s mining industry was expanding, the Government overpriced its expectation of the returns from a royalty derived from the sale of minerals.

Therefore, spending and investment unfortunately continued to a point where now the State has not only lost its credit rating but also it is apparent that more of our assets will have to sold to repay debt.

Perhaps it is now time to demand that our aspiring politicians will have acquired the financial skills from business experience over a period of at least a decade so that they are more accountable to us without the need for additional assistance of spin and pretext.

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