❓ Question regarding Impulse Airlines' decision not to operate in WA and the government's response. The Minister defends the government's actions and challenges the opposition to offer alternative solutions.
AnsweredQoN 52Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the decision by Impulse Airlines not to operate out of Perth. (1) When was the minister first informed that Impulse Airlines would not be operating to and from Western Australia? (2) What action did he take as a result? (3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE
AnswerView source ↗
Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(1) When was the minister first informed that Impulse Airlines would not be operating to and from Western Australia? (2) What action did he take as a result? (3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(2) What action did he take as a result? (3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(1) When was the minister first informed that Impulse Airlines would not be operating to and from Western Australia? (2) What action did he take as a result? (3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(2) What action did he take as a result? (3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(3) Is it true that neither the minister nor the Western Australian Tourism Commission did anything to encourage Impulse Airlines to operate to and from Western Australia? (4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(4) What is the minister doing now to encourage Qantas and Ansett Airlines to fill empty seats with passengers paying cheaper airfares? Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE replied: Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Coincidentally, I have been given notice of a similar question by another member. Therefore, I will use the information provided in that answer to enlighten Hon Nick Griffiths. (1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
(1)-(4) I make it very clear that the decision to fly to and from various parts of Australia is made by the airlines concerned. Discussions have been held at various levels of government with Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines. Many discussions have also been held over the years with Ansett Airlines and Qantas. The Government has always argued vigorously against the policies implemented by Qantas and Ansett. They have consistently failed to look after the best interests of Western Australia. When Compass Airlines started servicing the east-west route, the number of passengers flying to Western Australia from the eastern States increased significantly because of the availability of cheaper airfares. It was encouraging when Qantas and Ansett followed suit. Regrettably, when Compass went broke, Qantas and Ansett reverted to their previous pricing packages. The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The Tourism Commission has been able to negotiate reasonable airfares with Qantas. For example, there is now a $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare or a one-way airfare of $248. Members should spend a few moments considering the flying time from Perth to Sydney and compare that with the flying time from Sydney to Melbourne. Some of the discounted airfares reflect that flying time. The $499 Perth-Sydney return airfare and the $248 one-way airfare equate very closely with the $60 airfare currently being offered for travel between Melbourne and Sydney. Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon Ken Travers interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: The member should not interrupt. The Opposition is always jumping on bandwagons, but no-one ever asks what it would do if it were faced with the same scenario. Someone asked Mr Mark McGowan, the member for Rockingham, whether he agreed with the suggestion that the only way the Western Australian Government could help Impulse Airlines would be to buy it an aircraft. He said that he did not think that should be done, but he did not say what should be done. Members of the Opposition have jumped on the bandwagon and said that Impulse will not fly to Western Australia because it does not have the right aircraft - Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Several members interjected. Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: They have never said what they will do. It is time that the media started asking members of the Labor Party - who claim they will form the next Government - what they will do, instead of letting them off the hook. The time has come - six months before an election - for someone to say, “If you do not think the Government has done enough, what will you do in government?” We will then sit back and listen to the answer. The answer might be that a Labor Government would buy Impulse Airlines an aircraft. That sounds just like the 1980s, when members opposite went on a shopping spree, buying buildings and art and bailing out their mates. A Labor Government might also decide to give the airline subsidised fuel. Maybe that is what the Opposition will do. The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The PRESIDENT: Order! Members must not interject because it is making the minister move off on other tangents. A lot of members want to ask questions and the more interjections are made, the less likely are members to get to ask them. Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: I asked the question. Mr McGowan from Impulse Airlines said that the Government might buy an aeroplane or subsidise the fuel. If that is what the Opposition thinks we should do, it must say so. It can then talk to the bus companies, Qantas Airways Ltd and Ansett Australia. Do we start subsidising fuel right across the transport system? Do we do it only for holiday-makers or do we do it for business people? Do we do it only for Hon Tom Stephens or Hon Tom Helm travelling north? Do we do it for everybody or nobody? The Opposition must say what it thinks about that proposal. It is not a simple issue of saying that Impulse Airlines should fly planes to Western Australia. We would like it to do it and we would like Virgin Blue to fly planes here. We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
We have had long negotiations with both companies. Members must understand that they are not using aircraft suitable for flights to Western Australia. That is the problem. Impulse Airlines is using Boeing 717s, which are quite small. If they were to fly to Western Australia, they would be required to refuel at Adelaide. There would then be the problem of stopovers. Virgin Blue is using 737s, I think the 200 series, which are more suited to short-route destinations in the eastern States than here. We have had very meaningful discussions with both airlines. We are of the view that we are more likely to get Virgin Blue to come to Western Australia than we are to get Impulse Airlines to come to Western Australia. The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the minister wind up his answer? I have a number of other questions. Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: It is necessary for me to make sure that the Opposition understands this very clearly. The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
The PRESIDENT: Order! I am asking the minister to wind up his answer. Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
Hon N.F. MOORE: I am winding up my answer, which might take a moment yet. It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
It is important for the Opposition to understand that Western Australia is quite a long way from the other States of Australia. Therefore, the cost of operating air services from Sydney to Western Australia is much higher than it is to Melbourne. That is why Virgin Blue is likely to be the potential operator on the Western Australian route quicker than any other airline. We have had long and extensive negotiations with Virgin Blue. We believe there is some chance of it happening in the future. However, it is important on this occasion for members asking questions about these matters to sit down and do a little bit of analysis instead of jumping on bandwagons and saying that the Government is not doing enough. I have a lot of literature with me. I will defer to your request, Mr President. We have been in negotiations with both airlines for quite some time, contrary to what was said in the newspaper on two occasions. At the end of the day we are not prepared to subsidise fuel or buy an aeroplane. If the Opposition is prepared to do both of those things, it must say exactly what it will do so that everybody knows.
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Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.