Port assets are being eyed for sale by the West Australian government in a bid to restore the state's AAA credit rating.
After Standard and Poor's (S&P) downgraded the once-boom state to AA+ on Wednesday, the Liberal-led government said it would pursue asset sales to boost a balance sheet weighed down by mounting debt.
The ratings agency said the government didn't have the resolve to implement its Fiscal Action Plan, revealed in the August budget, in order to add revenue.
Power and water utilities are potentially on the block, as are port assets, Mr Buswell revealed on Thursday.
"There are clearly assets on our balance sheet that don't need to be held by the taxpayer," he told Fairfax Radio.
"We're not going to sell ports in totality but there are plenty of assets that sit within WA ports that we could look to sell."
He said asset sales would only solve part of the problem, namely too much spending and not enough income.
Mr Buswell said the key was major reform of the public sector, but acknowledged job culls would be met with fierce resistance exemplified by Thursday's teacher rallies.
"If the public response to what I think is some minor changes to the education system is anything to go by, we're going to have a heck of a time getting those public sector reforms through but they're critically important."
Asked about the increased cost of borrowing that comes with a lower credit rating, the treasurer said the WA government was already being charged more since S&P downgraded the state's outlook from stable to negative last October.
Population growth that was required to prop up housing and keep bogan morons in overpaid jobs has now necessitated the need for building infrastructure.
But even after the housing and mining boom we're broke and in debt!
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
Population growth that was required to prop up housing and keep bogan morons in overpaid jobs has now necessitated the need for building infrastructure.
But even after the housing and mining boom we're broke and in debt!
Funny isn't it. Population growth is great. Then blame it for all our problems.
Not only did it make ours lives hell in the meantime but at the end it fucked us.
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