❓ WA Environment Minister criticises Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell's decision-making regarding wind farms, alleging political motivations behind hindering wind farm projects in WA and Victoria.
AnsweredQoN 458Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WIND FARMS - ROLE OF FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTER
I refer to federal environment and heritage minister Ian Campbell’s recent backflip over the Bald Hills wind farm. What impact will this decision have on future wind farm projects in Western Australia? Mr M. McGOWAN
I refer to federal environment and heritage minister Ian Campbell’s recent backflip over the Bald Hills wind farm. What impact will this decision have on future wind farm projects in Western Australia? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware that the favourite person of members opposite, Senator Campbell, the bloke who runs the Liberal Party in Western Australia, has done a big backflip about the wind farm in Victoria. He used his powers under federal environmental legislation to stop a $200 million-plus wind farm development in Victoria based on the risk that a parrot might be killed by the wind farm once every 50 years. Report after report to him indicated that the wind farm posed very little risk to the parrot. However, when he was given the report he wanted, he said that the wind farm in Victoria could not proceed. He is using his authority as federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to do the same thing in Denmark in Western Australia, for which there is a very sensible proposal to provide wind power for that community, as the state government has been encouraging across the state. Now Senator Campbell is promoting a national wind farm code by which he will try to stop wind farms from being established at the whim of any particular community group around Australia that might not like them. We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware that the favourite person of members opposite, Senator Campbell, the bloke who runs the Liberal Party in Western Australia, has done a big backflip about the wind farm in Victoria. He used his powers under federal environmental legislation to stop a $200 million-plus wind farm development in Victoria based on the risk that a parrot might be killed by the wind farm once every 50 years. Report after report to him indicated that the wind farm posed very little risk to the parrot. However, when he was given the report he wanted, he said that the wind farm in Victoria could not proceed. He is using his authority as federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to do the same thing in Denmark in Western Australia, for which there is a very sensible proposal to provide wind power for that community, as the state government has been encouraging across the state. Now Senator Campbell is promoting a national wind farm code by which he will try to stop wind farms from being established at the whim of any particular community group around Australia that might not like them. We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware that the favourite person of members opposite, Senator Campbell, the bloke who runs the Liberal Party in Western Australia, has done a big backflip about the wind farm in Victoria. He used his powers under federal environmental legislation to stop a $200 million-plus wind farm development in Victoria based on the risk that a parrot might be killed by the wind farm once every 50 years. Report after report to him indicated that the wind farm posed very little risk to the parrot. However, when he was given the report he wanted, he said that the wind farm in Victoria could not proceed. He is using his authority as federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to do the same thing in Denmark in Western Australia, for which there is a very sensible proposal to provide wind power for that community, as the state government has been encouraging across the state. Now Senator Campbell is promoting a national wind farm code by which he will try to stop wind farms from being established at the whim of any particular community group around Australia that might not like them. We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware that the favourite person of members opposite, Senator Campbell, the bloke who runs the Liberal Party in Western Australia, has done a big backflip about the wind farm in Victoria. He used his powers under federal environmental legislation to stop a $200 million-plus wind farm development in Victoria based on the risk that a parrot might be killed by the wind farm once every 50 years. Report after report to him indicated that the wind farm posed very little risk to the parrot. However, when he was given the report he wanted, he said that the wind farm in Victoria could not proceed. He is using his authority as federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to do the same thing in Denmark in Western Australia, for which there is a very sensible proposal to provide wind power for that community, as the state government has been encouraging across the state. Now Senator Campbell is promoting a national wind farm code by which he will try to stop wind farms from being established at the whim of any particular community group around Australia that might not like them. We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware that the favourite person of members opposite, Senator Campbell, the bloke who runs the Liberal Party in Western Australia, has done a big backflip about the wind farm in Victoria. He used his powers under federal environmental legislation to stop a $200 million-plus wind farm development in Victoria based on the risk that a parrot might be killed by the wind farm once every 50 years. Report after report to him indicated that the wind farm posed very little risk to the parrot. However, when he was given the report he wanted, he said that the wind farm in Victoria could not proceed. He is using his authority as federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to do the same thing in Denmark in Western Australia, for which there is a very sensible proposal to provide wind power for that community, as the state government has been encouraging across the state. Now Senator Campbell is promoting a national wind farm code by which he will try to stop wind farms from being established at the whim of any particular community group around Australia that might not like them. We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
We should get to the reasons that Senator Campbell is doing this. The Australian summed it up in its editorial which stated that Senator Campbell has not just shown he is inept when it comes to decision making but that he is willing to allow political considerations to influence his ministerial judgment. The Australian has worked him out. Most members opposite also have worked him out because none of them understand how he reached his position at the top of the Liberal Party. Members opposite do not like him for obvious reasons. This government supports wind farms being established in this state; however, for very political reasons, Senator Campbell does not. Most importantly, it is because he wants to succeed Wilson Tuckey in O’Connor because he has ambitions of one day being Prime Minister of Australia.
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