BUDGET FORECAST

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:39): Just a supplementary, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Yes, if it is a supplementary.

Mr MARSHALL: I think it is a supplementary, because we are talking about the federal government updating the people of Australia.

The SPEAKER: A question would be good.

Mr MARSHALL: Okay. Will the Premier update the public regarding the state's revenue outlook before the state budget as the Prime Minister has to the Australian people regarding her upcoming budget?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:39): No, we will be waiting until the budget to supply that. In the ordinary course, how the commonwealth seeks to communicate—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, she obviously had something very significant to say, which was an extraordinarily large writedown in the revenue arrangements for the budget. She made a choice about how she wished to communicate. We make our own decisions which are consistent with past practice; that is, there is a budget announcement, a Mid-Year Budget Review. They are the occasions on which the community is updated about the projections. It is sensible to wait until those times because there are fluctuations over the course of the year. It is sensible to wait until all the information is in so that we can make sensible forecasts—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I am not responsible to this house for the decisions that are made by the federal government.