❓ Mr Baker questions the Treasurer on the previous government's plan to sell Utah Point and how the current government is safeguarding WA's economic future by maintaining public ownership of infrastructure. The Treasurer defends the government's decision to repeal legislation allowing the sale of Utah Point, highlighting the benefits of public ownership for the resources sector and the state budget.
AnsweredQoN 271Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Infrastructure—Public ownership
271. Mr Geoff Baker to
the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to keeping major infrastructure in public hands.
(1) Can the Treasurer remind the house of the former
Liberal–National government's plan to sell Utah Point and how that
would have impacted the Pilbara and our state?
(2) Can the Treasurer outline to the house how the
Cook Labor government is taking decisive action to safeguard Western Australia's
economic future?
271. Mr Geoff Baker to
the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to keeping major infrastructure in public hands.
(1) Can the Treasurer remind the house of the former
Liberal–National government's plan to sell Utah Point and how that
would have impacted the Pilbara and our state?
(2) Can the Treasurer outline to the house how the
Cook Labor government is taking decisive action to safeguard Western Australia's
economic future?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Let us go to the resources sector.
Do members know what the resources sector likes? It likes common-user
infrastructure. It likes the fact that it has a government that is willing to
back the resources sector by investing in the poles and wires, the land and the
water supply to support resources development in this state. What was the
opposition's point of view? It brought in legislation to sell off Utah Point.
This is part of Pilbara Ports that is so fundamental to a diversified supply, and
also of use. It was mainly targeted at those small to mid-sized resource
companies that cannot afford to build their own infrastructure but can use the
infrastructure there. The previous Liberal government brought in legislation to
sell off Utah Point. We have now brought in legislation to repeal that bill.
That means that if a Liberal–National government were to form again,
and over the weekend we saw that that is unlikely given that they still hate
each other, they would have to bring in new legislation to do it. We know that
privatisation is in their DNA, whether it has been with Westrail, the freight
network, Western Power or Utah Point. Of course, we have created legislation to
repeal to act. That is fundamental, as I said, to the resources industry to make
sure that all players in the resources industry have access to Utah Point.
Of course, our ports continue to
play a key part in our state in not only driving the economy, but also, because
we own our ports, providing dividends, members. The thing about privatisation,
and we have seen this happen over east, is that it is a sugar hit. It feels
good immediately, but afterwards it feels very bad because revenue has been
lost. They are in such a dire financial situation over east because they have
sold off their assets and they do not get the dividends, whereas in Western
Australia we own our ports. Yes, that creates a balance sheet challenge when we
have to invest in infrastructure, but we get the sustainable and reliable
revenue from the dividends. That is a good thing for the state because the
state owns those assets and then it gets the revenue from those assets.
Taxpayers own the asset and they get ongoing revenue, which helps our budget.
We have the best budget in the nation because we own those profit-making assets
that return money to the state via dividends. We will repeal the act that deals
with Utah Point because we want to support the state budget and the resources
industry. Selling off Utah Point would have impacted the resources industry, in
particular the non-majors as they would potentially have to struggle and fight
to get access to key trading facilities.
Do members know what the resources sector likes? It likes common-user
infrastructure. It likes the fact that it has a government that is willing to
back the resources sector by investing in the poles and wires, the land and the
water supply to support resources development in this state. What was the
opposition's point of view? It brought in legislation to sell off Utah Point.
This is part of Pilbara Ports that is so fundamental to a diversified supply, and
also of use. It was mainly targeted at those small to mid-sized resource
companies that cannot afford to build their own infrastructure but can use the
infrastructure there. The previous Liberal government brought in legislation to
sell off Utah Point. We have now brought in legislation to repeal that bill.
That means that if a Liberal–National government were to form again,
and over the weekend we saw that that is unlikely given that they still hate
each other, they would have to bring in new legislation to do it. We know that
privatisation is in their DNA, whether it has been with Westrail, the freight
network, Western Power or Utah Point. Of course, we have created legislation to
repeal to act. That is fundamental, as I said, to the resources industry to make
sure that all players in the resources industry have access to Utah Point.
Of course, our ports continue to
play a key part in our state in not only driving the economy, but also, because
we own our ports, providing dividends, members. The thing about privatisation,
and we have seen this happen over east, is that it is a sugar hit. It feels
good immediately, but afterwards it feels very bad because revenue has been
lost. They are in such a dire financial situation over east because they have
sold off their assets and they do not get the dividends, whereas in Western
Australia we own our ports. Yes, that creates a balance sheet challenge when we
have to invest in infrastructure, but we get the sustainable and reliable
revenue from the dividends. That is a good thing for the state because the
state owns those assets and then it gets the revenue from those assets.
Taxpayers own the asset and they get ongoing revenue, which helps our budget.
We have the best budget in the nation because we own those profit-making assets
that return money to the state via dividends. We will repeal the act that deals
with Utah Point because we want to support the state budget and the resources
industry. Selling off Utah Point would have impacted the resources industry, in
particular the non-majors as they would potentially have to struggle and fight
to get access to key trading facilities.
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