❓ Question regarding inconsistencies between state and federal Labor on uranium mining, Premier responds by highlighting state government support for uranium mining and criticising the Labor Party's stance.
AnsweredQoN 584Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
URANIUM MINING — WA LABOR
584. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER to the Premier:
Mr Speaker —
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
Mr
B.J. Grylls interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Minister for
Regional Development, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
There is a member on his feet asking a question.
Mr
J.J.M. BOWLER : The Minister for Environment recently announced final
environmental approval for Toro Energy's proposed Wiluna mine in my
electorate. I note also that Prime Minister Gillard is currently in India to
talk about a proposal to export Australian uranium to that nation. Can the
Premier please update the house on inconsistencies between state and federal
Labor on the issue of uranium mining and what this might mean for the future of
uranium if Labor gains office in 144 days?
584. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER to the Premier:
Mr Speaker —
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
Mr
B.J. Grylls interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Minister for
Regional Development, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
There is a member on his feet asking a question.
Mr
J.J.M. BOWLER : The Minister for Environment recently announced final
environmental approval for Toro Energy's proposed Wiluna mine in my
electorate. I note also that Prime Minister Gillard is currently in India to
talk about a proposal to export Australian uranium to that nation. Can the
Premier please update the house on inconsistencies between state and federal
Labor on the issue of uranium mining and what this might mean for the future of
uranium if Labor gains office in 144 days?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie
for that question. I was in Wiluna only a couple of months ago and I can say
that there was a great sense of expectation in Wiluna about the opening of the
Toro Energy uranium mine, the first of what I would anticipate to be several
uranium projects in this state. As the member said, last week the Minister for
Environment gave environmental approval for that project. That is probably the
most significant of all the approvals, although there are approvals relating to
mining, transport and a range of other issues, including a federal export
licence for the project to export. I would expect all of those approvals to go
through in a proper and predictable process. So, for all intents and purposes,
state government approvals are in place; federal government approvals for
export will follow.
It is important and I am glad that
the Prime Minister is in India talking to the Indians about the export of
uranium from Australia. The two biggest economies in the world in terms of
population, China and India, both have very small components of their energy
system dependent on nuclear power. Each of those nations is heading down the
path of substantial investment in nuclear energy. Most developed nations have
somewhere between 20 to 30 per cent of their power supply from nuclear energy.
China and India have probably less than five per cent, yet for those countries
to be able to have a reliable power supply will do more than anything else to
improve health and education standards in villages with some of the poorest
people in the world. They are friends of ours. India is a joint commonwealth
nation, we have a long history of friendship, and I would welcome not only the
development of uranium mining here but also exports to India.
At the time of the last state
election, the Labor Party campaigned to a large extent on—almost its
key issue—opposition to uranium mining. Fair enough —
Mr
A.J. Waddell : You said you'd keep power prices low!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party centred its campaign on opposition to uranium
mining. Fair enough if that was its philosophical or economic position, but it
did not win that election campaign. Given that that was a major issue, this
government clearly had a mandate to proceed along with our policy commitment. I
made it very clear throughout that campaign that if elected, we would support
uranium mining. Members opposite ran ads on it and campaigned on that issue.
The public did not support the Labor Party on that. I would have thought that
the Labor Party would have changed its policy. After all, Western Australia is
the world's leading mining economy and we have an opportunity now to
diversify into uranium. This state, perhaps, has up to five per cent of the
world's uranium; about 15 deposits have been discovered—more to
be found.
So, I was interested to hear the
Labor Party's spokesperson, the member for Cannington, explain Labor's
position. This was an interview on ABC radio and I would like to quote the
explanation, the clarification, given by the member for Cannington. This is
what he said —
Sure we our position is quite
clear we don't support uranium mining but we're also not
going to risk the taxpayers' money and there's a project that's
been approved, and when I say been approved, I mean by state approvals, we're
not have any control over federal approvals, but state approvals, if it's
had state approvals, it can proceed.
He then says —
the Federal Labor Party worries about federal issues and we worry about State
issues. The State Labor Party's position on uranium has been clear for
many, many years and we did adjust it this year when Mark came to office to
make it clear that we aren't going to risk taxpayers' money
He then goes on to say —
our policy's been clear for a long time. The Federal Labor Party deals
with federal issues, we deal with State issues. The Federal Labor Party has a
policy regarding the export of uranium, that's got nothing to do with
mining.
Terrific! The exporting of uranium has nothing to do with mining! I do
not know how we get the stuff! He continues —
the
Federal Minister for Resources, he deals with issues —
It goes on and on. The only thing that is clear is that the opposition's
policy is unclear! This is a shambles of an explanation. Labor campaigned at
the last election against uranium mining, but at least that was a clear position.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I might expect some response from you. I do
not expect any response from anybody else.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, at least —
Mr W.J. Johnston : When did you change your position or do you
still support putting waste in Western Australia? Have you changed your
position?
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington! We have a few more questions to get through. I
would like some assistance, members, in achieving that. That includes both the
Premier and the member for Cannington; I am being inclusive.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : At the last election the Labor Party
opposed uranium mining. The only thing that could be said about that was: at
least it was a clear policy position. Now it says it will let mining go ahead
if all approvals are in place, and there will be a string of approvals, some
extending beyond the construction of the mine itself. The industry has no idea
what the opposition's policy position is; it has no idea at all!
Several members
interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Listen to the people at the last election!
Once again, on a key and, if you like—controversial to some—contentious
issue, members on this side of the house support uranium mining in Western
Australia. On the other side of the house, once again, we have a Leader of the
Opposition sitting on the fence having no clear policy at all. On this side, we
support the uranium industry; on that side, we see a policy that completely
lacks clarity and is completely confusing.
Several members
interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition laughs in a
foolish way because his performance is foolish.
for that question. I was in Wiluna only a couple of months ago and I can say
that there was a great sense of expectation in Wiluna about the opening of the
Toro Energy uranium mine, the first of what I would anticipate to be several
uranium projects in this state. As the member said, last week the Minister for
Environment gave environmental approval for that project. That is probably the
most significant of all the approvals, although there are approvals relating to
mining, transport and a range of other issues, including a federal export
licence for the project to export. I would expect all of those approvals to go
through in a proper and predictable process. So, for all intents and purposes,
state government approvals are in place; federal government approvals for
export will follow.
It is important and I am glad that
the Prime Minister is in India talking to the Indians about the export of
uranium from Australia. The two biggest economies in the world in terms of
population, China and India, both have very small components of their energy
system dependent on nuclear power. Each of those nations is heading down the
path of substantial investment in nuclear energy. Most developed nations have
somewhere between 20 to 30 per cent of their power supply from nuclear energy.
China and India have probably less than five per cent, yet for those countries
to be able to have a reliable power supply will do more than anything else to
improve health and education standards in villages with some of the poorest
people in the world. They are friends of ours. India is a joint commonwealth
nation, we have a long history of friendship, and I would welcome not only the
development of uranium mining here but also exports to India.
At the time of the last state
election, the Labor Party campaigned to a large extent on—almost its
key issue—opposition to uranium mining. Fair enough —
Mr
A.J. Waddell : You said you'd keep power prices low!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party centred its campaign on opposition to uranium
mining. Fair enough if that was its philosophical or economic position, but it
did not win that election campaign. Given that that was a major issue, this
government clearly had a mandate to proceed along with our policy commitment. I
made it very clear throughout that campaign that if elected, we would support
uranium mining. Members opposite ran ads on it and campaigned on that issue.
The public did not support the Labor Party on that. I would have thought that
the Labor Party would have changed its policy. After all, Western Australia is
the world's leading mining economy and we have an opportunity now to
diversify into uranium. This state, perhaps, has up to five per cent of the
world's uranium; about 15 deposits have been discovered—more to
be found.
So, I was interested to hear the
Labor Party's spokesperson, the member for Cannington, explain Labor's
position. This was an interview on ABC radio and I would like to quote the
explanation, the clarification, given by the member for Cannington. This is
what he said —
Sure we our position is quite
clear we don't support uranium mining but we're also not
going to risk the taxpayers' money and there's a project that's
been approved, and when I say been approved, I mean by state approvals, we're
not have any control over federal approvals, but state approvals, if it's
had state approvals, it can proceed.
He then says —
the Federal Labor Party worries about federal issues and we worry about State
issues. The State Labor Party's position on uranium has been clear for
many, many years and we did adjust it this year when Mark came to office to
make it clear that we aren't going to risk taxpayers' money
He then goes on to say —
our policy's been clear for a long time. The Federal Labor Party deals
with federal issues, we deal with State issues. The Federal Labor Party has a
policy regarding the export of uranium, that's got nothing to do with
mining.
Terrific! The exporting of uranium has nothing to do with mining! I do
not know how we get the stuff! He continues —
the
Federal Minister for Resources, he deals with issues —
It goes on and on. The only thing that is clear is that the opposition's
policy is unclear! This is a shambles of an explanation. Labor campaigned at
the last election against uranium mining, but at least that was a clear position.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I might expect some response from you. I do
not expect any response from anybody else.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, at least —
Mr W.J. Johnston : When did you change your position or do you
still support putting waste in Western Australia? Have you changed your
position?
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington! We have a few more questions to get through. I
would like some assistance, members, in achieving that. That includes both the
Premier and the member for Cannington; I am being inclusive.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : At the last election the Labor Party
opposed uranium mining. The only thing that could be said about that was: at
least it was a clear policy position. Now it says it will let mining go ahead
if all approvals are in place, and there will be a string of approvals, some
extending beyond the construction of the mine itself. The industry has no idea
what the opposition's policy position is; it has no idea at all!
Several members
interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Listen to the people at the last election!
Once again, on a key and, if you like—controversial to some—contentious
issue, members on this side of the house support uranium mining in Western
Australia. On the other side of the house, once again, we have a Leader of the
Opposition sitting on the fence having no clear policy at all. On this side, we
support the uranium industry; on that side, we see a policy that completely
lacks clarity and is completely confusing.
Several members
interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition laughs in a
foolish way because his performance is foolish.
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