❓ The Minister for Regional Development outlines the government's actions to revitalise WA regions, focusing on hospital redevelopment, Ord River expansion, Royal Flying Doctor Service funding, regional development commissions, and telecentre network improvements.
AnsweredQoN 151Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT — REVITALISATION
Given the renewed emphasis on regional development and decentralisation under the Liberal-National government, can the minister explain to the house what action the government has undertaken to revitalise the Western Australian regions? Mr B.J. GRYLLS
Given the renewed emphasis on regional development and decentralisation under the Liberal-National government, can the minister explain to the house what action the government has undertaken to revitalise the Western Australian regions? Mr B.J. GRYLLS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Independent member for Kalgoorlie for his question, and his clear interest in regional development. I begin by congratulating the new government on its support for the $55.8 million redevelopment of Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital. That project is dear to the heart of the member for Kalgoorlie and also people across the goldfields. That redevelopment, which has been badly needed, and has been waited for, for many, many years, has been delivered by the new government. I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the Independent member for Kalgoorlie for his question, and his clear interest in regional development. I begin by congratulating the new government on its support for the $55.8 million redevelopment of Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital. That project is dear to the heart of the member for Kalgoorlie and also people across the goldfields. That redevelopment, which has been badly needed, and has been waited for, for many, many years, has been delivered by the new government. I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I thank the Independent member for Kalgoorlie for his question, and his clear interest in regional development. I begin by congratulating the new government on its support for the $55.8 million redevelopment of Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital. That project is dear to the heart of the member for Kalgoorlie and also people across the goldfields. That redevelopment, which has been badly needed, and has been waited for, for many, many years, has been delivered by the new government. I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS replied: I thank the Independent member for Kalgoorlie for his question, and his clear interest in regional development. I begin by congratulating the new government on its support for the $55.8 million redevelopment of Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital. That project is dear to the heart of the member for Kalgoorlie and also people across the goldfields. That redevelopment, which has been badly needed, and has been waited for, for many, many years, has been delivered by the new government. I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I thank the Independent member for Kalgoorlie for his question, and his clear interest in regional development. I begin by congratulating the new government on its support for the $55.8 million redevelopment of Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital. That project is dear to the heart of the member for Kalgoorlie and also people across the goldfields. That redevelopment, which has been badly needed, and has been waited for, for many, many years, has been delivered by the new government. I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also advise the house of our great support and passion for the expansion of the East Kimberley with the Ord stage 2 project; and also, much more than Ord stage 2, a complete revitalisation of the education infrastructure, the health infrastructure, and the port and airport infrastructure, as well as the very vital agricultural industries that will now be able to grow. I also advise the house of the worldwide interest in this expansion of the East Kimberley as proposed by the new government. Both the Premier’s office and my office are taking calls from across the world from people interested in a new project of this magnitude in the far north of Western Australia. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : The former Treasurer still supports that project, does he not? Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I support the Ord expansion, but I think the public ought to see the Treasury analysis of it. Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am glad the Leader of the Opposition supports the Ord expansion, because the Ord final agreement is a very important part of that. I think all Western Australians are looking with great interest at the expansion of the Ord irrigation district and the growth of the East Kimberley. I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also congratulate the new government on its commitment yesterday for an extra $29.9 million in funding for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I do not think anyone, either in metropolitan Perth or regional Western Australia, would deny the great importance of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was brought home to me even more yesterday when, as we were in Jandakot announcing that extra funding to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the planes departed to pick up my grandmother, who had had a heart attack in Corrigin. My grandmother was brought to Royal Perth Hospital yesterday by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. All Western Australians can rest more comfortably knowing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is now adequately funded to buy new planes and replace older planes so that it can deliver a faster response time to the emergencies that occur and ensure that patient transfers to the major hospitals in the metropolitan area can take place. I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also advise the house of the great excitement from the regional development commissions network, because they now feel, at long last, that the Western Australian government is supporting regional development and decentralisation. I had all the chairs and chief executive officers of the development commissions come to Perth yesterday to discuss with them their new future. It is a completely new deal for the regional development commissions. They are very excited about being given decision-making responsibility for many of the programs that they administer and about being an important part of driving the regional growth agenda of the new government. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : What decisions will they be given responsibility for? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I will be happy to announce that shortly, member. I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I also advise the house of the great excitement that we have about revitalising the telecentre network in Western Australia. There are 103 telecentres located in remote and regional Western Australia, and they provide a great network of infrastructure for the new government to work with. Over the past eight years, these telecentres have been funded at the miserly rate of $20 000 a year to try to operate a full-time service in the regions. That is simply not good enough. I look forward to making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about the new support for telecentres, and about how we believe telecentres can become the shopfront for regional development in those 103 communities across Western Australia, and how these telecentres can work closely with the regional development commissions to ensure that there is an integrated network of regional development opportunities across the state. I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I thank members opposite for their support for the country age pensioners’ fuel card. I know it has caused conniptions for the member for Armadale about rolling the program out. I thank the member for Albany for his public support for this program and his acknowledgment that people who live in regional Western Australia are forced to undertake essential travel, and that pensioners on fixed incomes who are paying the higher price for fuel in country areas bear the brunt of that. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Do you know who’s getting it? Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Mr B.J. GRYLLS : I am very aware who is getting it. The member for Armadale is the one who does not seem to be aware of who is getting it, and that is probably because she is sitting on the opposition side. I am absolutely sure that country age pensioners are looking forward very much to that support for them to undertake that important travel. Given the member’s in-principle support reported in the newspaper yesterday, I am looking forward to her confirming to country age pensioners that when her side eventually gets back into government, it will continue this program so that country age pensioners can be supported. I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I failed to mention the decision on the Muchea saleyards. The government has allocated $54 million to expand and renew the Muchea saleyards. This is another vital decision for the livestock industry. Anyone who has visited the Midland complex would have seen that it is simply an unacceptable part of our agricultural industry. This is another decision of the government in its first 100 days to revitalise regional Western Australia. Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Finally, I will talk about the country local government fund, which will revitalise regional infrastructure. I have advised the shadow Minister for Local Government that the invitation is in the mail to the announcement of that country local government fund. We have taken into account the “Framework for the Future” report commissioned by local government. We have taken into account the member’s concerns about making sure that local government takes a more regional focus, and engages in more cooperation, and we look forward to the member’s support for that. I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
I contrast that with the eight years of the previous government’s neglect of regional Western Australia. I contrast the present government’s policies with what seemed to be the complete indifference of the previous government to regional development and decentralisation. Regional Western Australia looks forward to a new era under the current government. Before sitting down, I will say that, although I delivered plenty of criticism to the previous government, one thing I never accused it of was being too generous to regional Western Australia. Not once in my time in this Parliament over the past eight years did I criticise the previous government for being too generous to regional Western Australia. What has the member for Armadale, the shadow Minister for Regional Development, achieved in the first 100 days of the new government? I quote from The West Australian of Monday, 10 November. Once again, not once did I criticise the previous government for being too generous. The member for Armadale said — “The royalties for the regions scheme is already very generous,” shadow regional development minister Alannah MacTiernan said. I thank the member for the compliment. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
The SPEAKER : Members on my left, and also members on my right, may think that some members in this place take a little too long to ask or answer questions, but I suggest to members on both sides that if they could just desist from interjecting for a little while, members on either side might have more opportunity to either ask or answer questions.
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