A Prescription for Change: Why Our Budget Must Value Human Dignity

The disconnect between policy and reality

As a doctor, my work is guided by the fundamental principle of doing no harm. When I look at our state budget, I am reminded that a budget is more than just a ledger of numbers: it is a moral document. It is a set of priorities. It tells us exactly what our government values, and unfortunately, what it chooses to leave behind. While we celebrate a surplus and a strong credit rating, we must ask ourselves at what cost this is achieved. We are currently navigating a reality where those who built this state are being failed by the very systems designed to support them.

The hidden cost of aging without dignity

I recently returned from travels in China and Japan, where I witnessed something that shook me to my core. I visited family in aged-care facilities that functioned with the comfort and quality of life we should expect for our own loved ones. The contrast with what I have seen as a GP in Western Australia is profound. Here, our aged care is often a regime of scarcity, where staff are overworked and the quality of life is, quite frankly, lacking. It is a place some fear to enter, a waiting room where patients endure rather than live. We are the richest state in one of the world's wealthiest nations, yet we have abandoned the promise of living our final years in comfort and dignity. If we cannot provide for our most vulnerable, we must question our priorities.

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The urgent need for government transparency

Beyond our social obligations, we face a crisis of transparency. The role of the Auditor General is to ensure the government is held accountable for its spending. Yet, when the Auditor General recently requested information regarding the Griffin Coal Ashurst engagement, the government simply said no. They hid behind the excuse of commercial-in-confidence. This is a recurring pattern: a smokescreen used to keep the public in the dark. How can we make informed decisions about our future if we are forbidden from seeing the data? When the government passes laws to empower the Auditor General but leaves them unproclaimed for years, they are shielding themselves from the truth. We are being asked to trust a system that refuses to be transparent, and that is a danger to our democracy.

We have a duty to demand more than just managed figures on a page. We need governance that values people over political convenience. You can examine the full Hansard record of this discussion to see the detail for yourself. If you are ready to stop settling for the status quo and want to see a government that prioritizes evidence and humanity, I invite you to join us at Legalise Cannabis WA as we work to build a more open, honest, and compassionate state.