Leaders quizzed by church on ethics

MARRIAGE should only be between a man and woman, according to Premier Colin Barnett.

Mr Barnett won applause from the 300-strong audience at the Australian Christian Lobby's leaders forum last night when he said: “Marriage is between a man and a woman and that is one of the basic fabrics and structures in our society”.

The Premier and Opposition leader Mark McGowan fielded questions from church leaders on abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage at the ACL forum last night.

The Make it Count event was only their second head-to-head debate during the election campaign.

Mr Barnett said he was opposed to same-sex marriage, but did support civil unions.

Mr McGowan said it was a Federal issue, but if he were a member of the Federal Government he would support same-sex marriage.

Mr Barnett opened the night spruiking the Liberal Party’s strong commitment to social justice.

“This government’s been good on the economy, good on creating jobs, doing all those things in a responsible way,” he said.

“I and my colleagues would claim that we have also been a Government that has had a social conscious and that’s provided social justice to so many Australians who have been denied that in the past.”

The leaders reaffirmed their positions on abortion, with the Premier stating that while he thought it “abhorrent”, he had to be realistic and Mr McGowan said he supported what former US President Bill Clinton had described in the past as “safe, legal and rare” policy.

Leaders finished the night debating euthanasia when Australian Christian Churches WA senior pastor Ken Lee asked if leaders would oppose legalising euthanasia in WA.

“I do not support euthanasia. I do not support a legal structure for finishing a life,” Mr Barnett said.

“What I do support and what happens… is when someone is terminal I think the handling of those last days or hours or whatever it might be should be up to family members or doctors.

“Whether it means a little bit more morphine to ease the pain, which may mean the passing comes a little quicker.”

Mr McGowan disagreed. He said a patient should have the right to make their own decisions when in a sound mind.

View the original article here

Tas, WA leaders battle over GST

THE West Australian and Tasmanian premiers have traded harsh words, with Lara Giddings saying the mining-rich state's push for a greater share of the GST goes against the spirit of Federation.

The GST is currently distributed using the "horizontal fiscal equalisation" system, which aims to ensure states and territories have enough money to provide services such as education and health of the same standard.

But WA Premier Colin Barnett has been pushing for the GST to be distributed on a per capita basis, saying the state is being ripped off.

Tasmania's Labor Premier says the Liberal leader is crying poor "despite rolling in the massive royalties of the mining boom".

"It's often forgotten that as recently as 2007, Western Australia was in the same position as Tasmania - a net beneficiary of GST, propped up by NSW, Victoria and Queensland," Ms Giddings told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.

"If you shift resources to Western Australia, it has to come from somewhere and it will come from Tasmanians, the state that can least afford to give money to the richest state.

"That a Tasmanian living in Launceston or Hobart or Burnie or Devonport should have a different level of service when it comes to education, police, health than someone in Subiaco or Fremantle or indeed Kalgoorlie, it's just wrong to think that there should be two streams of Australians in this nation.

"It's just not Australian. That's not what Federation is about."

Mr Barnett fired back, saying: "she should look at the Tasmanian economy".

"They should be doing a lot, lot better," he said.

"You know when I leave this job maybe I'll go down and hire myself out for a year to run Tasmania.

"It wouldn't take much to get the Tasmanian economy moving."

View the original article here

Lively debate as leaders go head to head

Colin Barnett and Mark McGowan prior to the WA Leaders debate. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

Colin Barnett wins the coin toss at the WA Leaders debate. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

Colin Barnett prior to the WA Leaders debate. Picture: Jordan Shields Source: PerthNow

COLIN Barnett has defended the performance of his scandal-prone Treasurer Troy Buswell during the leaders' live debate on television.

The Premier said his Treasurer hadn't compromised his role as a minister but was "accident-prone''.

When asked during the debate on ABC why Mr Buswell had been promoted to Treasurer despite revelations in 2008 he sniffed the chair of a Liberal female staff member after she had sat in it - writhing in mock sexual pleasure - Mr Barnett said he was one of the most outstanding ministers he'd worked with.

"Yes, he's accident-prone if you like but has he done anything which is illegal, has he compromised his role as a minister, has he been questioned by the Corruption and Crime Commission as Labor ministers were? No,'' Mr Barnett said.

"He's made some mistakes in his private life and his behaviour.

"On one occasion he made a mistake which I thought potentially compromised him as a minister and I removed him from the treasury portfolio.

"The public sector commissioner conducted an inquiry and he was totally cleared.

"I respect people who work and do their job, and Troy Buswell is an outstanding minister.''

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said Mr Buswell wouldn't have been promoted "anywhere else - in fact he would have been out the door''.

"The only place that's he's promoted is inside Mr Barnett's cabinet.''

Mr McGowan said state debt was rising under Mr Buswell and he had presided over Perth's worst congestion crisis as transport minister.

LABOR SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT POLICY

The debate also revealed Mr McGowan's support for mandatory sentencing measures introduced and proposed by the Liberals.

He said he supported tough measures to deal with crime including mandatory jail terms for people who assaulted police officers.

"I am not opposed to tough measures to people who commit crimes,'' Mr McGowan said.

"We support the mandatory sentencing arrangements that Mr Barnett has suggested.

"But you need to do more than that to deal with crime. You need to employ more police officers.''

He recently said he did not support mandatory sentencing in relation to animal cruelty offences as it removed the discretion of the WA judiciary.

Mr Barnett said assaults on police officers had fallen 40 per cent since the law was introduced.

CANBERRA PLAYS A ROLE

Getting tough with Canberra is something Mr Barnett has become known for, and his political opponent says he'll do the same.

Mr McGowan has repeatedly deflected questions over why Prime Minister Julia Gillard won't be visiting ahead of the March 9 poll, saying it will be a state election fought on state issues.

Mr Barnett received strong praise from his federal counterpart on Sunday, with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott saying he wanted to model himself on the premier's style if he were to become prime minister.

But during the live debate, Mr McGowan shrugged off suggestions Ms Gillard's support would be "toxic'' to his leadership chances in WA, where her mining tax is unpopular.

"It is possible to be tough with Canberra and get results and that's what I'll do,'' Mr McGowan said.

View the original article here