ALL SQUARE IN LEADERS' HEAD-TO-HEAD

THERE was still no clear winner of the election campaign after last
night's televised leaders debate.

During the hour-long debate at the ABC's studio in Perth, neither
Premier Richard Court nor Labor leader Geoff Gallop delivered a
knockout blow to his opponent.

Nor did the leaders attempt to woo voters with new policy announcements.

Of the 35 audience members prepared to cast a vote when they left
last night, many were undecided. Thirteen were unable to say whom the
winner was, Mr Court secured 12 votes and Dr Gallop just 10.

Dr Gallop appeared to deliver a more natural performance and seized
on his policy to end old-growth logging as a sign of necessary
immediate change.

In his opening address, Mr Court said the coalition had promised to
create 150,000 new jobs by 2000 and had surpassed that goal by
creating 200,000.

He promised more of the same, committing to create an extra 150,000
jobs within 10 years.

But he avoided answering the question about whether the mantle of
premier would be handed over to leadership aspirants Colin Barnett,
Graham Kierath or Doug Shave within the next four years if the
coalition was returned to power. He defended his decision to keep Mr
Shave as a member of his Cabinet team despite him overseeing the
finance brokers scandal.

Asked about support for George O'Neil's naltrexone clinic for heroin
addicts, Mr Court was forced to admit he had never visited the
Subiaco clinic which is in his electorate. Dr Gallop said he had been
there and had held the hands of drug addicts as they were being
treated.

And instead of hiding Labor's intention to consider new ways of
tackling the drugs crisis, Dr Gallop admitted that safe injecting
rooms and a version of the Swiss trial of free heroin for addicts
would be considered as part of Labor's drug summit. Mr Court's
response to the fact that his Government had overseen five deficits
in the general government sector with two more expected was: "I'm
proud of our financial record."

He said his Government had halved WA's debt level in the past eight
years and that Dr Gallop was assistant treasurer in the disastrous WA
Inc days. Mr Court conceded that health was a difficult area to
manage and that the Government would have to look at new ways of
running the system effectively.

Dr Gallop said the Government had been through four health ministers
and four management models and had no idea how to fix the problems.

But he did not reveal how Labor would fix them despite vowing that he
did have the answers.

A member of the audience asked how the leaders could overcome voters'
cynicism but neither had any valid answers.