❓ The WA Fisheries Minister criticises the Commonwealth government's handling of illegal fishing, arguing border security is a federal responsibility and highlighting alleged funding cuts and intelligence sharing failures. The minister also digresses into unrelated political commentary.
AnsweredQoN 712Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is the minister aware of the comments made by the commonwealth Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Ian Macdonald, that Western Australia needs to do more to stop illegal fishing? (2) Will the minister inform the house whether the commonwealth is doing enough to stop illegal fishing? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
(2) Will the minister inform the house whether the commonwealth is doing enough to stop illegal fishing? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: (1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: (1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
(1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
(2) Will the minister inform the house whether the commonwealth is doing enough to stop illegal fishing? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: (1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: (1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
(1)-(2) First, I take exception to the Premier: I really think that the Premier owes Graham Kierath an apology for comparing him with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition - it was a very unfair comparison. There has been argy-bargy between the states and the commonwealth for 105 years about who controls what. Over the past couple of years the Howard government has pushed the barriers to the point where the founder of the Liberal Party, Sir Robert Menzies, would never have gone. He would be turning in his grave as a result of what the federal Liberal Party is doing today. However, one thing the states and the commonwealth governments have never argued about, be they Liberal or Labor, is that the federal government looks after defence and border protection. Federal and state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have agreed on this point. Senator Macdonald is now suddenly saying that Western Australia must do more about border security. Does this mean that the Western Australian government is suddenly to have its own army? I remember when my father went off to the Second World War. He served in the Australian infantry forces, not the Western Australian infantry forces. What will we have? Are we to have the South Australian army, the Tasmanian army and the Queensland army? No. We have the Australian Army. The Australian government looks after border security. The federal government talks tough about border security but does nothing about it. When it comes to border security, Senator Macdonald asks what will the state do about it? The state should not have to do anything about it. Let us examine what the opposition’s colleagues in Canberra have done. It is a sorry list. First, they cancelled security clearance for Western Australia fisheries officials. Secondly, they refused to share intelligence with the states while asking the states to do more. They will not even tell us, with their intelligence, when boats are arriving and where they are coming from. We must guess: we must have boats cruising around the north west coast of the state hoping that they will intercept illegal fishing boats; however, they refuse to share the information with us. Thirdly, despite announcing new funding for border security, the federal government has canned a $1 million payment to Western Australia to run a specialised unit to deal with this problem on the north west coast. Does the federal government think that those boats get to this coast by leaping over the territorial waters that the federal government looks after? Does the federal government think that they just appear off the Western Australian coast as if by magic? They do not. They come through the waters controlled by the federal government. The federal government should be looking after those waters. Senator Macdonald needs to stop playing politics. Border security is too important to play politics with. Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Mr P.D. Omodei : You should get your act together with infrastructure, proper organisation and a whole range of things. Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER : May I suggest that the member for Warren-Blackwood should start misbehaving? That is obviously the best way to become Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
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