NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns face off in first debate before state election

Fiery jabs were exchanged by the NSW Premier and Opposition Leader as the pair went head-to head in the first debate before the election.

Fiery jabs were exchanged by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns during Wednesday morning’s first debate ahead of the state election on March 25.

Topics like healthcare, pokies reform, education and privatisation were discussed with Mr Perrottet taking a jab at his opponent’s experience.

“You can’t run the finances like a school tuckshop,” the current Premier said to Mr Minns.

But the Opposition Leader shot back, saying Mr Perrottet’s tenure in treasury was a “disaster”.

Mr Minns continued: “Spare us the lecture, you’ve racked up the biggest debt the state’s ever seen.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Labor leader Chris Minns went head-to-head on 2GB in their first leaders' debate. Picture: 2GB

Moderator and 2GB host Ben Fordham ended the debate grilling Mr Perrottet on the government’s cost-of-living handouts, which aren’t means-tested.

“I was looking last night at what is available to my family as far as some of the freebies, some of the handouts out there,” Fordham asked.

“I just wonder whether families who are relatively well off like mine should have access to I think 20 different rebates and relief measures.”

This come as the government committed $500m to households via a one-off $250 energy rebate. Mr Perrottet also introduced a 40 per cent tolls rebate for motorists who spend more than $375 on tolls in a financial year, with a maximum claim amount of $750.

“Shouldn’t those things be means tested and targeted at families that need that help? Why does a family like mine deserve that when we just don’t need it,” Fordham continued.

Ben Fordham questioned whether all families in the state should have access to the government’s cost-of-living measures. Picture: 2GB

However, the Premier backed the government’s policies and said he “agreed to disagree” with Fordham’s stance.

“Some of our measures are targeted but ultimately I believe every household across NSW are doing it tough right now,” said Mr Perrottet.

“People pay their taxes and don’t get very much in return. I want to support all our families and that’s why we’ve got more cost-of-living measures than anyone across the country.”

Mr Minns said NSW Labor did not support the $250 one-off energy rebate and the government’s “massive spending” wasn’t responsible in light of the budget’s $189m debt, which NSW Treasurer announced in his Health-Yearly Review on Tuesday.

“It’s just for one year and he fails to say the energy prices are going to spike the year after by 30 per cent,” he said.

“The budget is out of control and I don’t think we can support it.”

Privatisation

Early jabs were exchanged on privatisation after Mr Perrottet asked Mr Minns if he would have built WestConnex and how he would have paid for it. He also asked a similar question about the Northwest Metro.

WestConnex is a 33km motorway that connects Penrith to the Sydney airport and links the M4 to the M8.

Mr Minns is a vocal critic of privatisation, like NSW’s toll roads that are operated by Transurban.

“We’d use state-owned corporations (and use) dividends to pay for major infrastructure,” said Mr Minns.

“You can’t be in a situation where you’re flogging off the family jewels or the family home to pay off the credit card.”

The Premier denied Mr Minns’ claims. Mr Perrottet argued that major infrastructure projects like the Sydney Metro or major motorways require private funding in order to be built.

“You’re more than happy to be there to spend the money, but you’re not there to do the hard work,” Mr Perrottet said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet at the opening of the M4-M8 WestConnex tunnel in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Toby Zerna

The Premier was also consistently asked whether he would privatise any more government assets, like Sydney Water or Hunter Water.

While he ducked the question, he eventually confirmed that he had “no plans”.

Mr Minns and Mr Perrottet were also asked questions around health care and healthcare worker wages, whether Mr Minns would be able to manage the state’s budget, and other hot button issues like gambling reform.

Gambling reform

As expected, poker machine reform was also heavily debated. The Coalition has committed to make all gaming machines cashless by 2028, while NSW Labor has called for a cashless trial on 500 of the states’s 86,000-plus machines.

While Mr Minns’ said Labor’s policy would examine “all avenues” of reform, Mr Perrottet accused Mr Minns of having a “weak argument” and putting politics above people.

“I have met with industry pubs and clubs. We’ve worked very closely with harm minimisation experts, they say very clearly that setting your own limits makes a real difference,” said the Premier.

However, Mr Minns backed Labor’s policy.

“We saw the same kind of moralistic language from the NSW government and the best of intentions in relation to greyhounds and the lockout laws, and both of them were disasters and made the situation worse, and eventually your government had to reverse both of those decisions,” he said.