❓ Mr. Watson questions the Premier about delays and funding for the Bunbury to Albany gas pipeline. The Premier defends the government's commitment, citing past achievements and re-examining cost estimates, while also attacking the questioner's negativity.
AnsweredQoN 447Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUNBURY TO ALBANY PIPELINE
447. Mr P.B. WATSON to the Premier:
I refer to the my friend the Premier's
broken promise from the government's first term to build a gas pipeline
from Bunbury to Albany, and the fact that the budget papers allocate only $19.5
million for the project over this term of government.
(1) Given that
the government has had five years to plan and build this pipeline, when will
the business case be submitted to government?
(2) Is the
failure to fully fund the pipeline during this term of government and the
project's inclusion as a risk to government budget priorities proof
that the Premier has once again failed the people of Albany?
447. Mr P.B. WATSON to the Premier:
I refer to the my friend the Premier's
broken promise from the government's first term to build a gas pipeline
from Bunbury to Albany, and the fact that the budget papers allocate only $19.5
million for the project over this term of government.
(1) Given that
the government has had five years to plan and build this pipeline, when will
the business case be submitted to government?
(2) Is the
failure to fully fund the pipeline during this term of government and the
project's inclusion as a risk to government budget priorities proof
that the Premier has once again failed the people of Albany?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
What a pessimist! What a miserable person he is! Albany has so much potential;
if only people had voted for Trevor Cosh! If they had voted for Trevor, we
would hear positive messages in here; we would hear the good news about Albany,
but instead all we hear is the pessimism, the depression and the cannot-do
approach of the member for Albany. Was it not the member for Albany's
saddest day to see the new hospital opened in Albany? That was something he had
promised for about two terms and did not deliver, and he had the grumpiest look
on his face when everyone else was celebrating.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Member for Armadale!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The Albany pipeline is an important project. I am concerned about some of the
construction cost estimates I saw the other day, so we are going to re-examine
and redo those, but the work has been determined.
Mr P.B. Watson :
They don't trust you down there!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
They do not trust me? Okay.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The pipeline is a long hose; it is about that big. It is not that big a
pipeline.
The project may look more expensive than we were previously
advised, but we are committed to building that pipeline. The member for Albany
says that people in Albany do not trust me. He does not. I am not one to be
boastful at all—I am humble—but history will show that the
goldfields gas pipeline, the Pilbara gas pipeline, the Busselton gas pipeline
and the midwest gas pipeline were all during my time as Minister for Energy.
What happened during the eight years of the Labor government? There was one
extension—the completion of the final leg of the goldfields gas
pipeline to Esperance. If we look at the map of Western Australia, we can see
that gas is our future natural energy source. We need to distribute gas by
pipeline, not transmission line in the form of electricity; the one glaring
omission is the pipeline through the south west to Albany, and this government
is committed to it.
What a pessimist! What a miserable person he is! Albany has so much potential;
if only people had voted for Trevor Cosh! If they had voted for Trevor, we
would hear positive messages in here; we would hear the good news about Albany,
but instead all we hear is the pessimism, the depression and the cannot-do
approach of the member for Albany. Was it not the member for Albany's
saddest day to see the new hospital opened in Albany? That was something he had
promised for about two terms and did not deliver, and he had the grumpiest look
on his face when everyone else was celebrating.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Member for Armadale!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The Albany pipeline is an important project. I am concerned about some of the
construction cost estimates I saw the other day, so we are going to re-examine
and redo those, but the work has been determined.
Mr P.B. Watson :
They don't trust you down there!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
They do not trust me? Okay.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Albany!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The pipeline is a long hose; it is about that big. It is not that big a
pipeline.
The project may look more expensive than we were previously
advised, but we are committed to building that pipeline. The member for Albany
says that people in Albany do not trust me. He does not. I am not one to be
boastful at all—I am humble—but history will show that the
goldfields gas pipeline, the Pilbara gas pipeline, the Busselton gas pipeline
and the midwest gas pipeline were all during my time as Minister for Energy.
What happened during the eight years of the Labor government? There was one
extension—the completion of the final leg of the goldfields gas
pipeline to Esperance. If we look at the map of Western Australia, we can see
that gas is our future natural energy source. We need to distribute gas by
pipeline, not transmission line in the form of electricity; the one glaring
omission is the pipeline through the south west to Albany, and this government
is committed to it.
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