Tas on Top - NSW & WA Slip in Rank

Date: 23 November 2001

State of the States 2001

Tasmania has been assessed as Australia's best performing State for the first time in the Evatt Foundation's annual State Government League Table, released today in The State of the States 2001 report.

Tasmania defeated runner-up South Australia and third-placed Queensland. Tasmania out performed the other States with its environmental policies, and performed above average in social policy.

In a surprise outcome, NSW has slipped to fourth place, after holding the top spot for five years straight.

"The main reason for the NSW fall was a below average performance in the crucial social policy area," said Dr Christopher Sheil, who prepared the report for the Evatt Foundation.

"NSW came second last in the social policy area. This was a steep fall, and it has been compounded by the loss of the State's leading edge in environmental policy."

In another surprise outcome, Western Australia won the wooden spoon for the first time in the eight-year history of the League Table.

Western Australia recorded the worst social policy performance, and the second worst environmental performance.

"It should be noted that the Western Australian performance relates to the period of the former Coalition Government led by Richard Court", said Dr Sheil.

"The WA result continues the League Table's extraordinary track record. Every single State government that has won the Table's wooden spoon has lost at its subsequent election"

In other results, Queensland rose from fourth to third position, and Victoria rose to fifth position, finally surrendering the League Table's wooden spoon during the first year of the Bracks Labor Government.

The Evatt Foundation and the Public Sector Research Centre at the University of New South Wales produced The State of the States 2001 report.

The research is based upon data from the Commonwealth Grants Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics and covers the 12 months to June 2000.

Related Articles

• Performance tables of States
• Background information to the State of the States Report
• Order form to purchase State of the States report

For more information

• Report Author: Dr Christopher Sheil, (02) 9385 9252 (w) 0419 43 6052 (m)
• Evatt Foundation: Fay Gervasoni, (02) 9385 2966 (w)
• Evatt Foundation: Bruce Childs, (02) 9386 1240 (h)

For further information

Contact:	Chris Sheil
Union:	The Evatt Foundation
Phone:	+61 2 9385 2966
Fax:	+61 2 9385 2967
Email:	evatt@unsw.edu.au
WWW:	http://evatt.labor.net.au/

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