WA was the only state in Australia that projected a surplus in October,while Victoria recorded a $23 billion deficit,NSW a $16 billion deficit,and Queensland an $8 billion deficit.
With fewer than 100 days until the March 2021 election,Mr McGowan trumpeted his government’s"enormous effort"in managing the state's finances,which he said would provide"the best women and babies'hospital in Australia and probably the world".
"All of our effort in keeping COVID out and keeping our economy strong has meant our situation has recovered more quickly than we otherwise would have thought,"he said.
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"Therefore,as part of our mid-year review we’ll be revising our prediction to $2.2 billion,$1 billion more than we estimated at the budget.
"What we want to do is make sure that good fortune,that good management,is used for a good purpose and the new good purpose is a new women and babies'hospital costing $1.8 billion that we’ll fully fund and set aside in a special purpose account."
The state government budgeted $3.3 million in 2019/20 to plan the new hospital and had injected $230 millionfrom a settlement with BHP over unpaid mining royalties into the special purpose account before the coronavirus pandemic hit,Mr McGowan said.