❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister's consistency in claiming credit for industry growth while denying responsibility for market downturns. The Minister deflects by criticizing the opposition's stance on production tax credits and accusing Dr. Honey of hypocrisy.
AnsweredQoN 532Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE ECONOMY — DOWNSTREAM MANUFACTURING
532. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for State and Industry
Development, Jobs and Trade:
I have a supplementary question. Why
does the minister claim every growth in industry is his government's
success but then deny any responsibility when the market turns?
532. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for State and Industry
Development, Jobs and Trade:
I have a supplementary question. Why
does the minister claim every growth in industry is his government's
success but then deny any responsibility when the market turns?
AnswerView source ↗
I might also ask the gentleman
opposite why it is that his national leader is opposed to production tax
credits that would have an impact on the specific companies for which he is now
crying crocodile tears. The member's national leader—I do not
know; does he still call him his national leader even though he has been
deselected? The member's national leader said that it is nothing more
than a sop to billionaires. Those are the same billionaires who invest billions
in this state to create WA jobs.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : The member's
leader repudiates the very policies that industry is looking to us to
implement, and he simply rejects them out of hand. The hypocrisy is just
breathtaking.
I know we should not talk about our
lives before this time, but I worked with the member for Cottesloe over many
years. He foretold the closure at some point of the Alcoa refinery. At the
time, he said that it utilised uncompetitive and older technology that would
one day make it not commercial.
Dr D.J. Honey : I did not.
Mr R.H. COOK : You said it to
me. In the dozen or so hours I spent with the member back when he was in his
previous role, he explained that scenario to me.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the House,
you have interjected the same thing three times! Just because you are hiding
behind the Premier, does not mean I cannot see you.
Mr R.H. COOK : No-one is happy
with the current situation. No-one is happy with the disruption to these
nascent global markets for critical minerals. No-one is comfortable with the
fact that companies make decisions that impact workers and their families. We
have been doing everything we can, including partial royalty relief from
rebates in the nickel industry. We have a range of measures and we are working
with industry. We are making sure that we do everything we can, and everything
people would expect from a government, to support these companies. But the fact
of the matter is that we are a trade-exposed economy and subject to the winds
of change in global markets, and that is why I am so committed to diversifying
our economy so that it is more resilient and Western Australian jobs can be
ongoing and we can protect the lives of those families.
The SPEAKER : I will be giving
the call to the member for Murray–Wellington, but, ahead of that, I have
given the opposition advice on many occasions about short, sharp and direct
supplementary questions. I have also given advice in the past to government
members about short, sharp and direct answers to those supplementary questions.
A supplementary answer should not be as long or longer than the first answer.
It is a supplementary question; it is to be narrow and on a single point. It is
a follow-up, effectively, to the first question asked. The response, again, should just be a follow-up on that point. It is
not an opportunity to take interjections or to respond on assorted matters .
Because our question times are growing in length each day, if I have to make a choice,
it will be to restrict the number of government questions, because it is
government ministers who are giving very long answers.
opposite why it is that his national leader is opposed to production tax
credits that would have an impact on the specific companies for which he is now
crying crocodile tears. The member's national leader—I do not
know; does he still call him his national leader even though he has been
deselected? The member's national leader said that it is nothing more
than a sop to billionaires. Those are the same billionaires who invest billions
in this state to create WA jobs.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : The member's
leader repudiates the very policies that industry is looking to us to
implement, and he simply rejects them out of hand. The hypocrisy is just
breathtaking.
I know we should not talk about our
lives before this time, but I worked with the member for Cottesloe over many
years. He foretold the closure at some point of the Alcoa refinery. At the
time, he said that it utilised uncompetitive and older technology that would
one day make it not commercial.
Dr D.J. Honey : I did not.
Mr R.H. COOK : You said it to
me. In the dozen or so hours I spent with the member back when he was in his
previous role, he explained that scenario to me.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the House,
you have interjected the same thing three times! Just because you are hiding
behind the Premier, does not mean I cannot see you.
Mr R.H. COOK : No-one is happy
with the current situation. No-one is happy with the disruption to these
nascent global markets for critical minerals. No-one is comfortable with the
fact that companies make decisions that impact workers and their families. We
have been doing everything we can, including partial royalty relief from
rebates in the nickel industry. We have a range of measures and we are working
with industry. We are making sure that we do everything we can, and everything
people would expect from a government, to support these companies. But the fact
of the matter is that we are a trade-exposed economy and subject to the winds
of change in global markets, and that is why I am so committed to diversifying
our economy so that it is more resilient and Western Australian jobs can be
ongoing and we can protect the lives of those families.
The SPEAKER : I will be giving
the call to the member for Murray–Wellington, but, ahead of that, I have
given the opposition advice on many occasions about short, sharp and direct
supplementary questions. I have also given advice in the past to government
members about short, sharp and direct answers to those supplementary questions.
A supplementary answer should not be as long or longer than the first answer.
It is a supplementary question; it is to be narrow and on a single point. It is
a follow-up, effectively, to the first question asked. The response, again, should just be a follow-up on that point. It is
not an opportunity to take interjections or to respond on assorted matters .
Because our question times are growing in length each day, if I have to make a choice,
it will be to restrict the number of government questions, because it is
government ministers who are giving very long answers.
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