THE state opposition has vowed to release a raft of new policies ahead of the May 28 state budget, but stopped short of promising a fully costed alternative economic blueprint. Labor wiped clear its policy platform at the party's state conference last July, and has spent the past 10 months rebuilding it. Opposition Leader Bryan Green said a broad range of policies around education, preventative health and job creation would be announced over the next four weeks. "Now it's time to start to put more flesh on the bones when it comes to policy development," Mr Green said. "The Labor Party, through its ministers, will be releasing policies in the lead up to the state budget and beyond so people understand there is a credible alternative government going forward." Mr Green would not say whether the policies would be costed, instead insisting they would be "implementable" should Labor reclaim government. "It's not about whether or not the policies can be costed against what the Liberal Party's put out," he said. "It's about ensuring people understand what the Labor Party is projecting for the future." The opposition has been heavily criticised by the government for not releasing an alternative budget last year. But Mr Green said costing a budget was an impossible task without full access to Treasury resources. He argued alternative budgets released by the Liberals when in opposition were not worth the paper they were written on. "Quite clearly their alternative budgets did not match up to the reality of the situation once in government," he said. Leader of Government Business Michael Ferguson hit back at the claim, taking aim at Labor's approach. "They have very little credit in knocking a government budget if they're not prepared to put up an alternative," Mr Ferguson said. "Whatever they have to say on the budget scarcely has credibility because they are the ones that created the mess."
THE state opposition has vowed to release a raft of new policies ahead of the May 28 state budget, but stopped short of promising a fully costed alternative economic blueprint.
Labor wiped clear its policy platform at the party's state conference last July, and has spent the past 10 months rebuilding it.
Opposition Leader Bryan Green said a broad range of policies around education, preventative health and job creation would be announced over the next four weeks.
"Now it's time to start to put more flesh on the bones when it comes to policy development," Mr Green said.
"The Labor Party, through its ministers, will be releasing policies in the lead up to the state budget and beyond so people understand there is a credible alternative government going forward."
Mr Green would not say whether the policies would be costed, instead insisting they would be "implementable" should Labor reclaim government.
"It's not about whether or not the policies can be costed against what the Liberal Party's put out," he said.
"It's about ensuring people understand what the Labor Party is projecting for the future."
The opposition has been heavily criticised by the government for not releasing an alternative budget last year.
But Mr Green said costing a budget was an impossible task without full access to Treasury resources.
He argued alternative budgets released by the Liberals when in opposition were not worth the paper they were written on.
"Quite clearly their alternative budgets did not match up to the reality of the situation once in government," he said.
Leader of Government Business Michael Ferguson hit back at the claim, taking aim at Labor's approach.
"They have very little credit in knocking a government budget if they're not prepared to put up an alternative," Mr Ferguson said.
"Whatever they have to say on the budget scarcely has credibility because they are the ones that created the mess."
