Former Howard public servant delivers WA Liberal costings as Metronet spending gets the axe

Peter Conran, the top public servant in WA during the Colin Barnett years and a former adviser to John Howard, has been revealed as the sole scrutineer of the Liberal Party’s election costings.

Treasury spokesperson Steve Martin released his costings on Thursday which showed the party’s commitments would increase the state’s debt by $3.4 billion to $41 billion over the forward estimates – $110 million more than forecast by Labor.

WA Liberals Shadow Treasurer Steve Martin reveals the party’s costings.Credit: Colin Murty

The total cost of the commitments beyond the forward estimates was calculated to be $5.8 billion.

Martin avoided the embarrassment of his party’s 2021 costings shambles but was grilled on the independence of Conran to assess the commitments given his history working for Liberal leaders.

“[He is] a man of vast experience, 30 years experience at the highest level of the public sector in Western Australia, Canberra and the Northern Territory,” he said.

“So he’s definitely qualified. We were actually pleased that he did this on our behalf, to have someone of that reputation, that experience was absolutely crucial.”

Conran was engaged by the Liberals in mid-January and he began work on costings on February 19.

Unlike the 2021 costings, Martin said Conran delved into individual commitments, though he said he did not look at smaller costings like those individual candidate commitments for upgrades at sporting and community clubs.

In a letter provided to media Conran said he examined the rationale provided on the promises and “found the calculations to be sound.”

The lion’s share of the funds would be devoted to health, with the suite of election commitments tipped to exceed $1 billion over the next three years.

Shadow Treasurer Steve Martin released his costings on Thursday.Credit: Colin Murty

Cost of living measures were pencilled in just shy of $800 million while law and order commitments were costed at $559 million.

The party would dedicate $515 million to local electorate commitments and other priorities - including transport.

Martin conceded the party’s transport budget was not as generous as that of Labor, which has invested billions of dollars in its flagship Metronet projects and which Martin said had placed further pressure on the state’s constrained labour pool.

The party would find savings totaling $623.75 million by placing $191 million worth of Metronet projects and the Swan River Ferries Acquisition plan on the backburner, as well as delaying the Canning Bridge Bus Interchange project and slashing advertising spending by $30 million.

“It’s a trend that as a government first arrives, they’re more, perhaps rigorous with their attitude to spending but over time the list of consultants, the list of advertising grows,” he said.

“We’ve all seen the lovely red Metronet ads.”

Martin reserved special criticism for the Environmental Defenders Office, vowing to slash its funding by $150,000 and accusing it of playing a key role in slowing down major projects, including Woodside’s projects in the north-west.

Labor has been critical of the Liberals’ decision to release its costings so late into the campaign, after nearly 400,000 people had already voted.

Martin accused Labor of taking uncosted commitments to the election, including the promise to bring the grain freight rail network back into public hands, which he says could cost the state billions.

Less than two hours later, Treasurer Rita Saffioti launched a scathing attack on the party’s election costings, branding it a “shambolic” process overseen by a long-term Liberal “operative”.

The deputy premier lambasted the party for releasing its costings just 48 hours out from the state election — given more than 380,000 people have already cast their vote — and accused it of treating the WA public with contempt.

Saffioti was highly critical of the party’s decision to allow someone closely linked to the party to review its costings and expressed doubts about the reliability of its savings figures, claiming the party had clawed back funds that did not exist in the forward estimates.

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