Ex-teacher, would-be ALP treasurer trips on his sums

NSW Labor Treasury spokesman Ryan Park yesterday over-­estimated the cost of health to the budget by $9 billion.

NSW Labor Treasury spokesman Ryan Park, at state parliament yesterday. Picture: Hollie Adams.

NSW Labor Treasury spokesman Ryan Park, who is within reach of running the nation’s strongest economy, yesterday over-­estimated the cost of health to the budget by $9 billion, a stumble the Liberals will seize on to fan doubt about the calibre of Michael Daley’s frontbench.

Mr Park, took 18 seconds to ­respond when asked during an ­interview with The Australian what was the proportion of the NSW health budget in terms of the overall state budget.

“Um, let me have a think, I think it’s about, probably about 40 per cent, then education comes out at about 20-odd, I think it is, transport comes (next), then you go into law and order,” he said.

The Australian informed Mr Park that the true figure was 28 per cent. He later said he had confused the health figure with the projected future proportion of health spending set out in the ­government’s intergenerational report for 2056 (36 per cent).

Mr Park is one of several shadow ministers who have had little exposure but have a strong chance of becoming ministers after Saturday’s election.

Only four frontbenchers have served as ministers — legal affairs spokesman Paul Lynch, transport spokeswoman Jodi McKay, local government spokesman Peter Primrose and Mr Daley.

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The government and opposition are 50-50 in Newspoll and internal seat-by-seat polling is showing momentum flowing to Labor. This gives it a chance of winning the nine seats it requires to snatch minority government. The Coalition would lose its ­majority if six seats fell. Labor needs 13 for a majority.

Former Bankstown mayor Tanya Mihailuk would be planning minister, little-known Guy Zangari, who replaced Joe Tripodi as the member for Fairfield, would be police minister and Mr Lynch would be attorney-general if Mr Daley was elected and kept his frontbench in place.

Some frontbenchers who have achieved a profile include Mr Daley’s close colleague, health spokesman Walt Secord, chief of staff to premier Kristina Keneally; former minister and transport spokeswoman Jodi McKay, Mr Daley’s leadership rival and water spokesman Chris Minns, and education spokesman and former Punchbowl Boys High principal Jihad Dib.

Mr Park, a 42-year-old former physical education teacher who served as a government staffer and deputy director-general of the ­Department of Transport before entering parliament, also paused yesterday when asked what the average budget surplus was in the budget forward estimates, before saying “about a billion bucks” (It’s $1.3 billion).

He defended his health gaffe yesterday, saying: “I’m a department of one.”

The Parliamentary Budget ­Office will this afternoon release the cost of both the government and Labor policies in what will be a test for Mr Park and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.

Despite media speculation last week that Mr Park might be replaced as treasurer by the upper house leader Adam Searle or his deputy Mr Secord if Labor is elected, the Wollongong resident insisted he was up to the job.

“I am absolutely ready. I have had three years as the shadow treasurer, working closely with industry, stakeholders, banking, ­finance, investment, infrastructure, contract management,” Mr Park said. “I was chief of staff to a minister (former Labor minister David Campbell) who had transport, water, at the time when we were doing desalination.

“Finally, obviously, I was deputy director-general of one of the big-spending portfolios that made me engage with Treasury and the budget process extensively and … I’ve got a first-class honours, I graduated with distinction in a masters (in educational leadership).”

Mr Park started his working life as a physical education teacher at Lake Illawarra High from 2000 to 2003 before entering Labor government staff ranks. “I’m very, very proud that I trained as a phys-ed teacher,” he said. “It’s not something I’m ashamed of at all. I’m an enormous believer in the benefits of public education.’’

One issue Mr Park has had to contend with this campaign is his “luxury car tax” — increasing the duty on cars worth more than $100,000 from 5 per cent to 7 per cent. On the north coast last week, when asked if it applied to trucks, buses or farm vehicles, Mr Daley seemed to backtrack and suggested he would consult on the policy.

Yesterday, Mr Park said he believed there would not be a change to the policy, which would deliver $240 million over three years.

He criticised Premier Gladys Berejiklian for saying NSW could “have it all” with her more than $28bn worth of election promises, pointing out Labor was aiming to spend more wisely. Labor has so far promised $21bn.

“I’m not going to go around saying everyone can have it all. Because I’ve got an eight-year-old and a four-year-old and the eight-year-old particularly knows you can’t have it all,” Mr Park said.

He said from the $2bn the government had promised to spend on stadiums: “We’ve made commitments well over $1bn (with the stadium funds) … to upgrade some of our hospitals, we’ve made commitments around airconditioning of schools.”