❓ Question regarding the City of Fremantle's plastic bag ban and the Minister's stance, questioning the government's environmental policy leadership in light of potential upper house disallowance.
AnsweredQoN 841Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLASTIC BAGS — CITY OF FREMANTLE BAN
841. Ms S.F. McGURK to the Minister for
Environment:
I refer to the City of Fremantle's
proactive initiative to benefit the environment by banning single-use plastic
bags, and the minister's letter to me that stated that he had no issue
with a local authority implementing such a positive policy.
(1) Who is making environmental
policy in the government: the minister or upper house backbenchers?
(2) Why would any
other local authorities pursue positive environmental policies if the minister
is going to allow them to be overturned against the community's wishes?
841. Ms S.F. McGURK to the Minister for
Environment:
I refer to the City of Fremantle's
proactive initiative to benefit the environment by banning single-use plastic
bags, and the minister's letter to me that stated that he had no issue
with a local authority implementing such a positive policy.
(1) Who is making environmental
policy in the government: the minister or upper house backbenchers?
(2) Why would any
other local authorities pursue positive environmental policies if the minister
is going to allow them to be overturned against the community's wishes?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) In
direct response to that question, I set the policy, or have charge of
environmental policy, for this government.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The question was asked about who sets the policy, and the minister
is answering about who sets the policy.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Is the Legislative Council the government of Western Australia,
member for Fremantle? No. I am sure many people in this place would have liked
the Legislative Council to follow the directives of the government of Western
Australia, but that is not the way our system works. My position on this matter
is very clear.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : The upper house is a democratically elected house of
Parliament. It is open to the upper house to move a disallowance motion, as a
sovereign house of Parliament in its own right, should it wish to. My position
on this matter is very clear. It was outlined to the member for Fremantle in a
letter. I had no particular issue with this matter. It was not a matter for the
state government; it was a matter for the Legislative Council of the Western
Australian Parliament, and it is working through its process on that decision.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the second time and the member for
Kwinana for the first time.
direct response to that question, I set the policy, or have charge of
environmental policy, for this government.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The question was asked about who sets the policy, and the minister
is answering about who sets the policy.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Is the Legislative Council the government of Western Australia,
member for Fremantle? No. I am sure many people in this place would have liked
the Legislative Council to follow the directives of the government of Western
Australia, but that is not the way our system works. My position on this matter
is very clear.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : The upper house is a democratically elected house of
Parliament. It is open to the upper house to move a disallowance motion, as a
sovereign house of Parliament in its own right, should it wish to. My position
on this matter is very clear. It was outlined to the member for Fremantle in a
letter. I had no particular issue with this matter. It was not a matter for the
state government; it was a matter for the Legislative Council of the Western
Australian Parliament, and it is working through its process on that decision.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the second time and the member for
Kwinana for the first time.
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