❓ Mr. Blayney questions the Minister for Fisheries about Greg Poland's involvement in Western Rock Lobster fishery reforms, alleging a 'botched nationalisation'. The Minister denies Poland's influence, stating his contact was limited to an unsolicited letter and a meeting.
AnsweredQoN 134Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN ROCK LOBSTER
FISHERY — REFORMS — GREG POLAND
134. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the minister's
botched nationalisation of the crayfishing industry.
(1) Can the
minister please outline to the house what involvement Greg Poland had in his
decision to attempt the nationalisation of the industry?
(2) Has the
minister had any contact with Greg Poland beyond his letter of August 2018, the
meeting with him in November and the aquaculture consortium in 2017?
FISHERY — REFORMS — GREG POLAND
134. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the minister's
botched nationalisation of the crayfishing industry.
(1) Can the
minister please outline to the house what involvement Greg Poland had in his
decision to attempt the nationalisation of the industry?
(2) Has the
minister had any contact with Greg Poland beyond his letter of August 2018, the
meeting with him in November and the aquaculture consortium in 2017?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Thank
you, member, for that question. I am aware of reports that Mr Poland claimed to
be, I think, the architect or to have engineered the policy. I am aware of
media reports. I have not heard direct comment from him, but I am aware of
media reports that he has made those claims. Those claims are completely false.
As I have outlined to a number of media outlets, Mr Poland attended an
aquaculture consortium. The government had consortiums on a number of industry
issues. He attended to talk about aquaculture at that meeting. Lobster was not
discussed. He then wrote me an unsolicited letter in, I think, August 2018, in
which, as a restaurant owner, he expressed an interest in having a number of
licences so that he could provide lobster at his restaurants. He expressed the
view in his letter that as a restaurateur, he simply could not access lobster
for his restaurants. That was the extent of the content of his letter. He did
not outline any greater plan for the industry; he simply expressed an interest
in having lobster made available for his restaurants. By the time I received
his letter, we were quite well advanced in thinking about what we might do in
this industry. When we received that letter from him, it was just one of a number
of representations that we had received from a variety of people in the
restaurant and hospitality industry saying that they would like greater access
to lobster. I asked, I think, my chief of staff to contact him, as we had
contacted other people who had contacted us. I said, ''Let's
arrange a meeting with him to hear what he's got to say.'' That
meeting took place in early November. By that stage we had already arranged for
negotiations to begin with the Western Rock Lobster Council on a new policy, so
any suggestion that he had engineered the process is, I suggest, a made-up
boast by a businessman here in Perth. It was reported to me that he was cranky
because I did not actually do what he asked me to do. That is the interesting
thing. I did not do what he asked me to do. The plan we announced was something
quite different. That is the only contact I have had with him on this issue of
lobster.
you, member, for that question. I am aware of reports that Mr Poland claimed to
be, I think, the architect or to have engineered the policy. I am aware of
media reports. I have not heard direct comment from him, but I am aware of
media reports that he has made those claims. Those claims are completely false.
As I have outlined to a number of media outlets, Mr Poland attended an
aquaculture consortium. The government had consortiums on a number of industry
issues. He attended to talk about aquaculture at that meeting. Lobster was not
discussed. He then wrote me an unsolicited letter in, I think, August 2018, in
which, as a restaurant owner, he expressed an interest in having a number of
licences so that he could provide lobster at his restaurants. He expressed the
view in his letter that as a restaurateur, he simply could not access lobster
for his restaurants. That was the extent of the content of his letter. He did
not outline any greater plan for the industry; he simply expressed an interest
in having lobster made available for his restaurants. By the time I received
his letter, we were quite well advanced in thinking about what we might do in
this industry. When we received that letter from him, it was just one of a number
of representations that we had received from a variety of people in the
restaurant and hospitality industry saying that they would like greater access
to lobster. I asked, I think, my chief of staff to contact him, as we had
contacted other people who had contacted us. I said, ''Let's
arrange a meeting with him to hear what he's got to say.'' That
meeting took place in early November. By that stage we had already arranged for
negotiations to begin with the Western Rock Lobster Council on a new policy, so
any suggestion that he had engineered the process is, I suggest, a made-up
boast by a businessman here in Perth. It was reported to me that he was cranky
because I did not actually do what he asked me to do. That is the interesting
thing. I did not do what he asked me to do. The plan we announced was something
quite different. That is the only contact I have had with him on this issue of
lobster.
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