West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is deceiving people in Sydney and Melbourne if they believe they will see any benefits from the mining boom.
In handing down his fourth budget, Mr Swan said an impending mining boom would underpin jobs creation and drive economic growth, with the government predicting gross domestic product (GDP) to hit 4.0 per cent in 2011/12.
However, the WA premier had one message to those on the east coast.
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"(Mr Swan) seems to be implying to the people of Sydney and Melbourne that they're going to get all these extraordinary benefits from the mining boom," Mr Barnett told reporters in Perth on Tuesday night.
"If they're listening or watching, I can tell them right now they won't."
Mr Barnett accepted that the mining industry would pay more in company tax as the economy grew, but said that would not translate into jobs for those in the eastern states.
"I think this budget is deceiving the Australian people," he said.
He said he found it strange Mr Swan had placed so much emphasis on the mining boom yet was committed to measures such as the minerals resource rent tax and a carbon tax he said would damage the industry.
The budget should have placed greater emphasis on the industries that were struggling in the eastern states, Mr Barnett said.
