The government will need access the state’s consolidated fund to make sure its services tick along until the next budget is handed down.
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While supporting the move, Labor took the opportunity to accuse the government of running out of money allocated within its 2017-18 budget and attempting to top up the forthcoming budget to fund its election promises.
Legislation to assist to allow Treasurer Peter Gutwein to access $173.5 million and fund government departments will now come before the Legislative Council during the sitting week of June 12.
About half of this money will go towards the Health and Human Services Department ($86.3 million), $15 million for the Education Department, $13.2 million for State Growth, and $12.4 million for Police, Fire and Emergency Management.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said there was nothing unusual in the government introducing such a bill to access funds and had been done each year since 2007.
“We will not take lectures from Labor about how to manage the budget,” he said.
The 2018-19 budget will be handed down on June 14.
