INSTEAD of coming together to put forward a unified approach to the Royalties for Regions (RfR) program in Western Australia, opposition parties have been butting heads.
Last week Liberal Party of WA leader Zak Kirkup and his party's regional development spokesman Steve Thomas released their policies around regional development and RfR funding, which was designed to "improve its accountability and therefore ensure the future of the program".
In doing so they also took a swipe at The Nationals WA, saying they called for a meeting to plan the management of regional development into the future.
"We need to be working with the Nationals to get the best result," Mr Kirkup said.
"It would be good to see our two great parties working together for a common goal that benefits regional WA, which plays such a pivotal role in driving the State's economy."
Dr Thomas said that without a working agreement and better decision making principles, the future of RfR was at risk.
"When the price of iron ore is high and the State is making billions extra in royalties, it is easy to throw money around, but when the price goes back to its normal long-term average the pressure on the budget will be immense and the very future of the program will be threatened," Dr Thomas said.
"To that end I expect National Party promises from the RfR fund to be matched by savings as well, or they are simply adding debt and deficit and cost shifting like Labor in reverse.
"To do so the Nationals will need to negotiate with the Liberal Party, and my door remains open so that we can find a sensible solution and ensure the future of the RfR process."
In response the Nationals rejected the Liberals' funding position, saying "neither major party can be trusted to deliver the regional development program".
"The Nationals WA are an independent political party, we don't meet with other political parties to formulate our policy," said party leader Mia Davies.
"Every party should make their intentions clear about RfR so voters can make an informed decision."
Ms Davies said regional voters deserved better than "the two major Perth-based political parties pretending they care about RfR just before an election".
"Our commitment to restoring RfR on behalf of the regional families, businesses and communities we represent has never wavered once in opposition or in government," she said.
Ms Davies said both major parties, dominated by city MPs, had a poor track record when it came to regional development and RfR.
"Over the past four years, the Labor Party has ripped at least $1.9 billion from RfR to fund their Perth election promises, like Metronet," she said.
"Labor has deliberately short-changed the people of regional WA, restricting opportunities for these communities to grow and diversify in ways that would benefit the whole State."
Ms Davies said the Liberal Party was no better.
"The Liberal Party's commitment to RfR is conditional on finding savings in the State Budget," she said.
"It is far from a rock-solid promise to deliver the State's only regional development fund in full.
Nationals deputy leader Shane Love said RfR had been created by his party in 2007 to counter decades of regional neglect from both sides of politics.
"Reversing the cuts made by Labor and guaranteeing this legislated fund is a priority for government will only happen with the Nationals sitting at the decision-making table," Mr Love said.
"Regional development and RfR is non-negotiable and should be a key part of our State's ongoing sustainable economic and social development."
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said over the past four years, the Labor government had invested more funding into regional WA than any other government in history.
"On infrastructure alone, our government is investing a record $7.5 billion in the regions over the next four years," Ms MacTiernan said.
"The McGowan government guaranteed the future of RfR, as promised, but RfR now makes up only a small part of our total regional spend.
"We're delivering major projects right across regional WA, investing in job-creation, schools, hospitals, roads and services that regional people need."
Ms MacTiernan said there would always be debate over which parts of the budget should be allocated to RfR and which to the Consolidated Account.
"For example, under the previous Liberal-National Government, funding for many government agricultural projects came from RfR," she said.
"We have moved that funding back to the Consolidated Account.
"Regional communities are more interested in seeing projects delivered on the ground - which we are doing - than from which government bank account the funding comes.
"And we do note that at the last election, the Liberal Party committed to $800m of substitution from the Consolidated Account to RfR.
"As the Special Inquiry into Government Programs and Projects found, the previous Liberal-National government's lack of oversight of RfR funding destabilised the entire State's finances.
"At the heart of the previous government's mismanagement of RfR was the dysfunction in the coalition between the Liberals and the Nationals.
"The Liberals and Nationals continue to release competing and inconsistent regional election policies.
"The Liberals and Nationals want regional WA to trust them with the future of RfR - but just a few weeks into 2021, the Liberals are already attacking the Nationals over RfR.
"The dysfunction in the coalition is alive and well.
"WA Labor has more country members than any other party in the current parliament, and is the best party to govern for regional WA."
