Don Punch not interested in ‘silly games’ after Liberals’ Ben Small raises issues with Budget pamphlet

Bunbury MLA Don Punch has said he is not interested in playing “silly games” with Liberal candidate for Forrest Ben Small after being accused of “smoke and mirrors” over a claim in a pamphlet. The pamphlet, sent out to Bunbury households last month following the State Budget, said the State Government was “continuing to deliver . . . (the) $1.46 billion Bunbury Outer Ring Road, currently under construction”. Mr Small has taken issue with the comment, highlighting the project is primarily funded by the Federal Government. Canberra has contributed about $1.11b towards the BORR — about 75 per cent of the project’s total cost — while the State Government’s spending comes to just below $357 million. Despite the majority Federal funding, the project is being delivered by contractors working on behalf of Main Roads, a State Government agency. Mr Small said most people were just looking for honesty from politicians. “When there is already so much misinformation being peddled online, we really don’t need games of smoke and mirrors being played in the lead-up to two important elections,” he said. The construction of the two new sections of the BORR began in 2021 following financial commitments from the Morrison and McGowan governments. Mr Small said no one should doubt how difficult it was for Forrest MHR Nola Marino to get her colleagues to spend about $1b on a single project in the South West. He said he hoped to continue delivering infrastructure in the region alongside State and local government partners. “Mark my words, if I’m elected, I won’t be tricky about acknowledging the contributions of those partners, because I believe in calling a spade a shovel,” he said. Mr Punch hit back at Mr Small’s claims he had purposely omitted the Federal Government’s contribution to the BORR. “As I have stated, the Bunbury Outer Ring Road will cost $1.46b,” he said. “All I am interested in is being part of the State Government delivering the biggest ever regional road project in WA for my community, not playing silly games with Mr Small.” The fight comes as South West voters are set to cast their votes in two elections in the next 12 months. Mr Punch will vie for re-election at the State election in March, while the next Federal election will need to be held by May.