Timing was also very poor. The ALP was aware from polls that the public was of the opinion that teh govt was arrogant and tricky – to then take advantage of the olympics and the new leader was clearly playing into the hands of those who created that image of the Carpenter government. Another monumental failure.

But in the end, it was lost seat by seat, and the choice of candidates looked great on paper, but ignored loyalty to popular incumbents like Kucera.

I think the points about things coming in over budget is not an issue – most people are aware that if their cost of living has gone up, the cost of government expenditure probably will too.

The story of the Children’s hospital being two years later and two hundred Million dollars more than the Liberal promise is a good one too.

Yep, especially as they campaigned to fix the Health System.

However, Opposition Health spokesman Roger Cook said there was no chance the new children's hospital would be open by 2014.

"The Liberal Party never intended to keep that promise,'' Mr Cook said.

"It was effectively a fraud that they perpetrated on the electorate.

"There is a whole raft of promises that they told the WA electorate they would keep and they have manifestly failed.''

Mr Cook said the report by the Health Department officials should be made public.

"The Government should reveal their plans on how they are going to stick to their health platform promises,'' he said.

THE State Government has begun sacking its most vulnerable staff as part of its 3 per cent efficiency drive – starting with tea ladies.
The move has sparked union concerns that thousands of low-paid and unprotected workers will follow while executives in government departments on massive financial packages will be spared.
The loyal tea ladies within the Department for Child Protection this week became the first victims of the Colin Barnett-driven belt tightening. They will be replaced by machines.

The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union fears the sackings are a sign of things to come and thousands of lower-paid government workers will be targeted.

The union’s assistant secretary, Carolyn Smith, said the union has more than 12,000 members working in the public sector who now faced uncertainty.

She said: “Who’s next? Instead of targeting the lowest paid workers in the public sector, they should look at the highly paid bureaucrats and the money wasted on consultants and advertising.

“We are extremely concerned that this Government will privatise school and hospital services in an effort to cut costs.

“Workers will face increased workloads and less pay and the general community will suffer because standards of work will drop under privatisation.

“Lower-paid government workers are an easy hit and these sackings are a prime example.”

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24828529-948,00.html

Swap “Labor” for “Liberal”, and “Australia” for “WA”, and steve could be Denis Shanahan or someone like that.

steve, I apologise if you were only joking!

They’ve been in power 13 years. Barnett’s been in power 13 weeks. Bit of a difference.

And since in #51 you acknowledge budgets and poor planning have contributed to the slowdown, surely you acknowledge that’s the fault of previous state and/or federal governments, not a guy who’s just been elected?

Not at all. That’s like saying the latest NSW half yearly statement that was roundly condemn by all and sundry was all the fault of previous premiers and Treasurers. What this document says is that we now have two basket case economies that are only going to get worse at a time when states need competent budgets crafted by competent people.

Since I’m neither a die-hard Liberal nor a WA resident I wouldn’t really care, to be honest.

Obviously economic slowdown will occur across the country in the current environment, so I’m not sure why you think the public will lay the blame at Barnett’s door, or any other state government for that matter. I do think trying to score political cheapies in this sort of situation is silly and counterproductive. Probably explains why the federal opposition are in such a hole…

And since in #51 you acknowledge budgets and poor planning have contributed to the slowdown, surely you acknowledge that’s the fault of previous state and/or federal governments, not a guy who’s just been elected?