❓ Mr Marmion questions the Premier about the transparency of a deal involving Cleveland-Cliffs and Mineral Resources regarding Koolyanobbing, requesting it be reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee. The Premier defends the deal, highlighting its benefits for jobs and the WA economy, accusing the opposition of opposing WA jobs.
AnsweredQoN 700Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CLEVELAND–CLIFFS AND MINERAL RESOURCES —
KOOLYANOBBING
700. Mr W.R. MARMION to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. This is about transparency.
Given that the Premier just told us that this is a good deal for Western Australia,
will he commit to send the deal to the Public Accounts Committee so that it can
verify that the deal was done? That is all we want—to ensure that it
was done in the best interests of the taxpayers of Western Australia.
KOOLYANOBBING
700. Mr W.R. MARMION to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. This is about transparency.
Given that the Premier just told us that this is a good deal for Western Australia,
will he commit to send the deal to the Public Accounts Committee so that it can
verify that the deal was done? That is all we want—to ensure that it
was done in the best interests of the taxpayers of Western Australia.
AnswerView source ↗
We have answered all the questions.
Mr V.A. Catania : It's the first time we've
heard it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The first time they heard it? The
question was asked in the upper house. We have answered the opposition's
questions. I realise that those opposite do not talk to them and they might not
know about it, but it is all there. They have been doing some detective work in
the upper house and we have been answering their questions in relation to it.
Had the arrangement been worse for the taxpayers of Western Australia,
we would not have done it.
Dr M.D. Nahan : Show us.
Mr M. McGOWAN : For some reason the Leader of the
Opposition now hates Mineral Resources. He now hates the people of Esperance,
he hates the people of Southern Cross, he hates the people of Kalgoorlie, he
hates the people who —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, there is just a wall of noise. I
want to hear what the Premier is saying. You have asked him a question.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Why is the opposition against Western Australian
jobs, against Western Australian companies and against taxpayers getting a better
deal? I will explain it to them again. We have given up the royalties—that
is true; we have. But when the mine closed, we were not going to get any
royalties. Do members understand that concept? When the opposition was in
government, it reduced the royalty take from a range of projects in the north
in order to keep them operating. There it is. What did we as an opposition do?
We supported the then government.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : What did we do when we were in
opposition? We supported the then government because to keep those operations
going, we kept thousands of jobs and we were better off getting something rather
than nothing. Does that not make sense? We have answered all the questions on
it. A Western Australian company has taken it over. We have kept up to 400 jobs
going.
I was in Esperance recently. There is a lot of fear in that
community about the loss of jobs. This government has kept scores of jobs in
Esperance that otherwise would have been lost. Given the tone of the
questioning and the article in The West Australian today, the Liberal
Party would prefer that all those men and women lost their jobs. That is not
our view.
Mr V.A. Catania : It's the first time we've
heard it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The first time they heard it? The
question was asked in the upper house. We have answered the opposition's
questions. I realise that those opposite do not talk to them and they might not
know about it, but it is all there. They have been doing some detective work in
the upper house and we have been answering their questions in relation to it.
Had the arrangement been worse for the taxpayers of Western Australia,
we would not have done it.
Dr M.D. Nahan : Show us.
Mr M. McGOWAN : For some reason the Leader of the
Opposition now hates Mineral Resources. He now hates the people of Esperance,
he hates the people of Southern Cross, he hates the people of Kalgoorlie, he
hates the people who —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, there is just a wall of noise. I
want to hear what the Premier is saying. You have asked him a question.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Why is the opposition against Western Australian
jobs, against Western Australian companies and against taxpayers getting a better
deal? I will explain it to them again. We have given up the royalties—that
is true; we have. But when the mine closed, we were not going to get any
royalties. Do members understand that concept? When the opposition was in
government, it reduced the royalty take from a range of projects in the north
in order to keep them operating. There it is. What did we as an opposition do?
We supported the then government.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : What did we do when we were in
opposition? We supported the then government because to keep those operations
going, we kept thousands of jobs and we were better off getting something rather
than nothing. Does that not make sense? We have answered all the questions on
it. A Western Australian company has taken it over. We have kept up to 400 jobs
going.
I was in Esperance recently. There is a lot of fear in that
community about the loss of jobs. This government has kept scores of jobs in
Esperance that otherwise would have been lost. Given the tone of the
questioning and the article in The West Australian today, the Liberal
Party would prefer that all those men and women lost their jobs. That is not
our view.
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