❓ The Premier outlines how WA's challenges were put on the national agenda at the COAG meeting, including securing a COAG meeting in the Pilbara to highlight its importance and raising coastal erosion and submarine maintenance issues.
AnsweredQoN 615Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENTS MEETING — PILBARA
615. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Premier:
I refer to last Friday's
Council of Australian Governments meeting.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how he has ensured that challenges facing Western Australians
were put on the national agenda?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how he is ensuring that the rest of the country
understands the importance of the Pilbara to Australia?
GOVERNMENTS MEETING — PILBARA
615. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Premier:
I refer to last Friday's
Council of Australian Governments meeting.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how he has ensured that challenges facing Western Australians
were put on the national agenda?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how he is ensuring that the rest of the country
understands the importance of the Pilbara to Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Pilbara. It would be fair to say that the Western Australian
government, our government, has been forceful but cooperative in our
relationship with the commonwealth. We have received some outstanding outcomes
as a result of our approach with the federal government. We have secured our
fair share of infrastructure investment—roads, rail, hospitals and the
like, as never seen before. We secured our fair share of goods and services tax—talked
about for 20 years, but secured under this government. Now, we have secured a Council
of Australian Governments meeting in the Pilbara. I put this to —
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Nationals
WA hate the Pilbara! It is regional Western Australia! They do not support the
Pilbara!
COAG
has been outside a capital city once, and that was in Cairns on Friday. I put
it to the Prime Minister and other Premiers that they should come to Western
Australia—they were all in furious agreement—and I said, ''But
we're going to the Pilbara!'' The Prime Minister was happy with
that. I saw a lot of glum looks around the table. But we are going to the
Pilbara. It will either be Karratha or Hedland. I will ensure that Premiers,
chief ministers and the Prime Minister—whoever might want to—will
have a look at where a large proportion of Australia's wealth comes
from. We will organise whatever tours and events are necessary to show them
what happens in the Pilbara, because I personally think that most of them have
never been there. Some of them have probably never even heard of it. The good
thing is that we are going there. No doubt, they will get an understanding of Western
Australia's role as the trading
state of the nation and the importance of our relationship with countries such
as China, Japan and Korea.
I also put on the agenda on Friday
the issue of coastal erosion. There is 20 000 kilometres of coastline impacted
by climate change. We have seen impacts in numerous locations both in Perth and
regional Western Australia. I said to the Prime Minister and the other Premiers
that this is an issue that is not going away. As climate change continues to
wreak havoc, we will see more coastal erosion take place, and every state,
local and commonwealth government will need to play a role in dealing with
that. We had the issue referred to environment ministers to examine. It would
be fair to say that the Prime Minister was not too keen on the commonwealth
playing any other role than that, but I think that future Premiers and Prime
Ministers will need to deal with this issue, because we will see it continuing
to occur and be an issue for future governments.
I also raise the issue of submarine
maintenance, and the Collins class in particular, which are based in my
electorate of Rockingham, at HMAS Stirling —one
of the principal employers in my electorate and, frankly, Australia's
premier defence base. It is based here in Western Australia, and it is
where the principal assets of the Defence Force are based. It is clear to me
that the Collins class should have their full-cycle dockings and their major
refits undertaken here in Western Australia where they are based. It seems to
me a statement of the bleeding obvious. To go across Cockburn Sound to have
full-cycle dockings, which take years to perform, is much more sensible than
sailing from Rockingham to Adelaide, particularly because Adelaide is going to
be full with other defence work, and I would not want to see those frigates or
new submarines pushed sideways or have major cost overruns.
The South Australian Premier is
Steven Marshall. I like Steven. I have met him twice now; I have met him at
events. He is a reasonable fellow. But I saw him on the news last night having
a go at Western Australia. Honestly, I thought it was poor form, so I have to
respond. It was not much gratitude for a South Australian Premier to be having a go Western Australia considering this
state has propped up South Australia for the last 20 years. How are all
those armies of public servants in South Australia employed? They are employed
with money from Western Australia. I think it would be fair to say that the
South Australian Premier would not know the difference between a submarine and
a limousine! He would not know the difference between a periscope and a stethoscope!
I put to the South Australian Premier that it is in the national interest that
major submarine maintenance—all the maintenance—happens here in
Western Australia. Let South Australia get on with the new builds of frigates
and submarines. Let the Collins class submarines be fully maintained in the
place in which they are based. The crews want it; the industry is here; the
technical expertise is here. This is the state that it should happen in.
thank the member for Pilbara. It would be fair to say that the Western Australian
government, our government, has been forceful but cooperative in our
relationship with the commonwealth. We have received some outstanding outcomes
as a result of our approach with the federal government. We have secured our
fair share of infrastructure investment—roads, rail, hospitals and the
like, as never seen before. We secured our fair share of goods and services tax—talked
about for 20 years, but secured under this government. Now, we have secured a Council
of Australian Governments meeting in the Pilbara. I put this to —
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Nationals
WA hate the Pilbara! It is regional Western Australia! They do not support the
Pilbara!
COAG
has been outside a capital city once, and that was in Cairns on Friday. I put
it to the Prime Minister and other Premiers that they should come to Western
Australia—they were all in furious agreement—and I said, ''But
we're going to the Pilbara!'' The Prime Minister was happy with
that. I saw a lot of glum looks around the table. But we are going to the
Pilbara. It will either be Karratha or Hedland. I will ensure that Premiers,
chief ministers and the Prime Minister—whoever might want to—will
have a look at where a large proportion of Australia's wealth comes
from. We will organise whatever tours and events are necessary to show them
what happens in the Pilbara, because I personally think that most of them have
never been there. Some of them have probably never even heard of it. The good
thing is that we are going there. No doubt, they will get an understanding of Western
Australia's role as the trading
state of the nation and the importance of our relationship with countries such
as China, Japan and Korea.
I also put on the agenda on Friday
the issue of coastal erosion. There is 20 000 kilometres of coastline impacted
by climate change. We have seen impacts in numerous locations both in Perth and
regional Western Australia. I said to the Prime Minister and the other Premiers
that this is an issue that is not going away. As climate change continues to
wreak havoc, we will see more coastal erosion take place, and every state,
local and commonwealth government will need to play a role in dealing with
that. We had the issue referred to environment ministers to examine. It would
be fair to say that the Prime Minister was not too keen on the commonwealth
playing any other role than that, but I think that future Premiers and Prime
Ministers will need to deal with this issue, because we will see it continuing
to occur and be an issue for future governments.
I also raise the issue of submarine
maintenance, and the Collins class in particular, which are based in my
electorate of Rockingham, at HMAS Stirling —one
of the principal employers in my electorate and, frankly, Australia's
premier defence base. It is based here in Western Australia, and it is
where the principal assets of the Defence Force are based. It is clear to me
that the Collins class should have their full-cycle dockings and their major
refits undertaken here in Western Australia where they are based. It seems to
me a statement of the bleeding obvious. To go across Cockburn Sound to have
full-cycle dockings, which take years to perform, is much more sensible than
sailing from Rockingham to Adelaide, particularly because Adelaide is going to
be full with other defence work, and I would not want to see those frigates or
new submarines pushed sideways or have major cost overruns.
The South Australian Premier is
Steven Marshall. I like Steven. I have met him twice now; I have met him at
events. He is a reasonable fellow. But I saw him on the news last night having
a go at Western Australia. Honestly, I thought it was poor form, so I have to
respond. It was not much gratitude for a South Australian Premier to be having a go Western Australia considering this
state has propped up South Australia for the last 20 years. How are all
those armies of public servants in South Australia employed? They are employed
with money from Western Australia. I think it would be fair to say that the
South Australian Premier would not know the difference between a submarine and
a limousine! He would not know the difference between a periscope and a stethoscope!
I put to the South Australian Premier that it is in the national interest that
major submarine maintenance—all the maintenance—happens here in
Western Australia. Let South Australia get on with the new builds of frigates
and submarines. Let the Collins class submarines be fully maintained in the
place in which they are based. The crews want it; the industry is here; the
technical expertise is here. This is the state that it should happen in.
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