Earthquake death toll in Turkey rises; Joe Biden delivers 2023 State of the Union address; RBA rate hikes hit homeowners; Voice-to-parliament debate intensified

In state news, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet joined Labor leader Chris Minns in the radio studio on 2GB this morning Breakfast Host Ben Fordham for a debate ahead of the March 25 election.
Both Chairs were asked to prepare three questions for each other before the debate. Minn’s first question for Perrottet concerned the pressure on NSW hospitals.
NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns have taken part in their first debate in the state election campaign.Credit:Renee Nowytarger, Dominic Lorrimer
Minns said there are widespread resignations at major hospitals across the state due to the pandemic.
“They keep telling me that your government doesn’t support and support them,” Minns said.
Perrottet backed the Liberal Party’s investment in NSW hospitals but said wage increases for health workers must be reasonable.
“If you look at our emergency departments they are the best in the country,” said the NSW Premier.
“As a former state treasurer for five years, you can’t please everyone.”
Perrottet’s first question to Minns was about the WestConnex infrastructure project and asked the Labor leader – if he were PM – how he would have paid for it.
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The NSW Prime Minister scoffed at Minn’s response when the Labor leader said he had used funds from state-owned company dividends.
“There’s a reason the previous Labor government didn’t build schools, didn’t build hospitals and they closed 90 schools across NSW,” Perrottet said
“There were no subways and no freeways, not for lack of intent, but because they couldn’t have done it, they didn’t have the funds to pay for it. And what you just heard from Chris is that he has no plan.
“Chris, you can’t build big infrastructure on dividends from state-owned companies.”
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