❓ Question regarding the Water Corporation's outsourcing contract with Transfield Services, Suez Environnement, and Degrmont, focusing on expected savings, business case preparation, and the role of Liberal Party treasurer and lobbyist Mr. Dean Smith. The Minister denies personal or staff contact regarding the issue.
AnsweredQoN 111Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER AND SEWERAGE SERVICES — TRANSFIELD–DEGRMONT–SUEZ
CONTRACT
111. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the expansion of the Transfield Services, Suez
Environnement and Degrmont outsourcing contract by the Water Corporation.
(1) What are the expected savings from outsourcing operations
to this joint venture?
(2) Was a business case prepared?
(3) What was
the role of Mr Dean Smith, Liberal Party treasurer and lobbyist, in securing
this contract arrangement?
(4) Has the
minister or any of his staff met with Mr Dean Smith or any of his
representatives about water and waste water contracts with Degrmont?
CONTRACT
111. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for Water:
I refer to the expansion of the Transfield Services, Suez
Environnement and Degrmont outsourcing contract by the Water Corporation.
(1) What are the expected savings from outsourcing operations
to this joint venture?
(2) Was a business case prepared?
(3) What was
the role of Mr Dean Smith, Liberal Party treasurer and lobbyist, in securing
this contract arrangement?
(4) Has the
minister or any of his staff met with Mr Dean Smith or any of his
representatives about water and waste water contracts with Degrmont?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Cockburn for the question.
(1)–(4)
In terms of the process of the alliance contract, the Water Corporation has
done an exercise, and it expects savings. No specific dollar amount has been
mentioned, but certainly savings are expected from the combination of an
alliance contract with maintenance and operations. It has done work around a
business case. In terms of contact with Mr Dean Smith —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members! I notice that quite a few of you have already established a
track record today. I suggest to many of you that it may be unwise to interject.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
In relation to Mr Dean Smith, I advise the house that I have had no contact
personally regarding this issue—and I am advised, nor have my staff.
KIMBERLEY
TOURISM — LORD ALISTAIR McALPINE
2. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Tourism:
I understand that the minister attended a special event in
Broome last night, an event that was also attended by Lord McAlpine. Can the
minister advise the house about the significance of Lord McAlpine's
contribution to tourism in the Kimberley?
Dr
K.D. HAMES replied:
Firstly, I acknowledge in the public gallery members of Perth
Heat who won the Australian Baseball League competition for the second year in
a row. Well done, guys!
[Applause].
Dr K.D. HAMES : As
Minister for Tourism—with Tourism WA being one of the funders of the
game of Australia v The Rest of the World, which, in fact, comprises players
from other teams around Australia—I made the opening pitch at this
game. There were quite a few Perth Heat guys there.
Several members interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The good thing about making the first pitch is that there is no
batter, and I had no chance of being hit for a home run! The pitch was waist
height and straight over the plate. What more could members want? I hope other
members can do the same when they are nearly 60!
I thank the member for North West
for the question. I did a quick trip yesterday; this was not the trip to St
John of God Hospital. We went to Broome, and I had the pleasure, with the
member for Kimberley —
Mrs C.A. Martin :
Thanks for the lift, mate!
Dr K.D. HAMES : No
worries. With the member for Kimberley, I had the pleasure of attending a
function attended by about 120 or 130 people from around Broome who are largely
involved in the tourism industry. Lord McAlpine was also invited to attend the
function. Lord McAlpine left Western Australia during the troubled times of the
1980s and the Ansett strike when income from his investments in Broome became
extremely troubled. He is recognised as the father of tourism in Broome, which
had been a sleepy little village before Lord McAlpine arrived in the 1980s and
built Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa.
Interestingly enough, last night
Lord McAlpine told a story about the construction of the Parmelia Hotel. After
having been invited to come to Australia, and after having found a hotel, he
ordered a cup of tea, as you do, in one of the better-class restaurants. The
tea came with the milk already in it and a teaspoon standing up in the mug!
That was at one of the best hotels in Perth at the time. He set about trying to
build the Parmelia Hotel. The minister who is responsible for liquor licensing
will find this a good lesson. Lord McAlpine met with the person responsible for
liquor licensing to get approval to build the hotel, and the gentleman told him
that he would need to have a library and a reading room on each floor, and
outlined some other fairly anachronistic requirements, such as floor height and
room sizes, and noted that the hotel should provide mostly single rooms because
married couples do not go to Western Australian hotels. He also said, ''What's
this five-star business? We don't have five-star hotels in Western
Australia. The most we ever have is four. What are you thinking?'' Lord
McAlpine went and saw Sir Charles Court and very quickly afterwards got his
approval and went on to build the Parmelia Hotel. He is an amazing character to
talk and listen to. His passions were not only building things like the Cable
Beach resort, but also looking after community groups and keeping a lot of the
old buildings in town. Many of the old buildings in Broome would not be there
now if it were not for Lord McAlpine.
He was a passionate supporter of
employment, particularly Aboriginal employment before it became fashionable. He
was one of the area's biggest purchasers of Aboriginal art and
artefacts. On any one day, a group of Aboriginal people would come along with
artefacts to his office to sell. He would always buy them. He said that is was
far better for Aboriginal people to be creating artefacts and doing work than
it was for them to be getting into strife because of other issues. He was very
much welcomed into Western Australia. Clearly, he greatly appreciated being
back. We might see a lot more of him in the future.
(1)–(4)
In terms of the process of the alliance contract, the Water Corporation has
done an exercise, and it expects savings. No specific dollar amount has been
mentioned, but certainly savings are expected from the combination of an
alliance contract with maintenance and operations. It has done work around a
business case. In terms of contact with Mr Dean Smith —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, members! I notice that quite a few of you have already established a
track record today. I suggest to many of you that it may be unwise to interject.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
In relation to Mr Dean Smith, I advise the house that I have had no contact
personally regarding this issue—and I am advised, nor have my staff.
KIMBERLEY
TOURISM — LORD ALISTAIR McALPINE
2. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Tourism:
I understand that the minister attended a special event in
Broome last night, an event that was also attended by Lord McAlpine. Can the
minister advise the house about the significance of Lord McAlpine's
contribution to tourism in the Kimberley?
Dr
K.D. HAMES replied:
Firstly, I acknowledge in the public gallery members of Perth
Heat who won the Australian Baseball League competition for the second year in
a row. Well done, guys!
[Applause].
Dr K.D. HAMES : As
Minister for Tourism—with Tourism WA being one of the funders of the
game of Australia v The Rest of the World, which, in fact, comprises players
from other teams around Australia—I made the opening pitch at this
game. There were quite a few Perth Heat guys there.
Several members interjected.
Dr
K.D. HAMES : The good thing about making the first pitch is that there is no
batter, and I had no chance of being hit for a home run! The pitch was waist
height and straight over the plate. What more could members want? I hope other
members can do the same when they are nearly 60!
I thank the member for North West
for the question. I did a quick trip yesterday; this was not the trip to St
John of God Hospital. We went to Broome, and I had the pleasure, with the
member for Kimberley —
Mrs C.A. Martin :
Thanks for the lift, mate!
Dr K.D. HAMES : No
worries. With the member for Kimberley, I had the pleasure of attending a
function attended by about 120 or 130 people from around Broome who are largely
involved in the tourism industry. Lord McAlpine was also invited to attend the
function. Lord McAlpine left Western Australia during the troubled times of the
1980s and the Ansett strike when income from his investments in Broome became
extremely troubled. He is recognised as the father of tourism in Broome, which
had been a sleepy little village before Lord McAlpine arrived in the 1980s and
built Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa.
Interestingly enough, last night
Lord McAlpine told a story about the construction of the Parmelia Hotel. After
having been invited to come to Australia, and after having found a hotel, he
ordered a cup of tea, as you do, in one of the better-class restaurants. The
tea came with the milk already in it and a teaspoon standing up in the mug!
That was at one of the best hotels in Perth at the time. He set about trying to
build the Parmelia Hotel. The minister who is responsible for liquor licensing
will find this a good lesson. Lord McAlpine met with the person responsible for
liquor licensing to get approval to build the hotel, and the gentleman told him
that he would need to have a library and a reading room on each floor, and
outlined some other fairly anachronistic requirements, such as floor height and
room sizes, and noted that the hotel should provide mostly single rooms because
married couples do not go to Western Australian hotels. He also said, ''What's
this five-star business? We don't have five-star hotels in Western
Australia. The most we ever have is four. What are you thinking?'' Lord
McAlpine went and saw Sir Charles Court and very quickly afterwards got his
approval and went on to build the Parmelia Hotel. He is an amazing character to
talk and listen to. His passions were not only building things like the Cable
Beach resort, but also looking after community groups and keeping a lot of the
old buildings in town. Many of the old buildings in Broome would not be there
now if it were not for Lord McAlpine.
He was a passionate supporter of
employment, particularly Aboriginal employment before it became fashionable. He
was one of the area's biggest purchasers of Aboriginal art and
artefacts. On any one day, a group of Aboriginal people would come along with
artefacts to his office to sell. He would always buy them. He said that is was
far better for Aboriginal people to be creating artefacts and doing work than
it was for them to be getting into strife because of other issues. He was very
much welcomed into Western Australia. Clearly, he greatly appreciated being
back. We might see a lot more of him in the future.
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