❓ Mrs Harvey questions the Premier about state funding for infrastructure upgrades at the Australian Marine Complex to attract the Collins-class submarine maintenance program. The Premier deflects, attacking Mrs Harvey's knowledge of defence and highlighting the government's efforts to secure the project.
AnsweredQoN 1083Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COLLINS-CLASS SUBMARINE
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
1083. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I refer to Western Australia's
bid to attract the full-cycle docking maintenance program for the Collins-class
submarines. How much state funding has the Minister for Defence Issues secured
for critical infrastructure at the Australian Marine Complex, including a dry
dock —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : — an
additional channel and upgrades to utilities?
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Or, is the
government hoping to attract this critically important job-creating project by
doing absolutely nothing except a $500 000 spin campaign?
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
1083. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I refer to Western Australia's
bid to attract the full-cycle docking maintenance program for the Collins-class
submarines. How much state funding has the Minister for Defence Issues secured
for critical infrastructure at the Australian Marine Complex, including a dry
dock —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : — an
additional channel and upgrades to utilities?
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : Or, is the
government hoping to attract this critically important job-creating project by
doing absolutely nothing except a $500 000 spin campaign?
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister!
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for the question. In the Minister for Defence Issues, we have someone who is a former
naval officer, commanded a warship, commanded a clearance diving team and
served in two wars representing the Australian Navy and the Australian Defence
Force, and we have the Leader of the Opposition prepared to attack him over an
issue about which he is an expert. That is where the Liberal Party is at. I see
people such as the soon-to-depart member for Riverton shaking his head. The
Minister for Defence Issues is an expert on these issues. He has served with
people who make the decisions in Canberra about these issues. The Leader of the
Opposition, of all people, knows nothing about defence. She knows absolutely
zero about defence—less than zero about defence, if that is possible.
She knows nothing about these issues and she comes in here with this half-baked argument about these issues. It was this
government that took up the case for full-cycle docking. It was this
government.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There is
another one who knows nothing about defence!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
question has been asked. I am sure you want to hear the answer, because I do.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It was this
government that took up the case for full-cycle docking, it was this government that established Defence West, it was this
government that established the Defence Advocate, it was this government that put the business case to the federal
government on behalf of Western Australia and launched a public campaign, and
it was this government that got the reports done about the suitability of this
work being done in Western Australia and submitted it to the commonwealth
government. We have put a significant amount of money behind this issue—a
very significant amount of money. We do not want to get into a financial
bidding contest with South Australia. We want to ensure that Western Australia's
case is put forcefully and significantly to the commonwealth government, which
we have done.
I have met with the defence minister about these matters, I have
discussed the matter with the Prime Minister, I have met with the senior naval
officers and senior public servants responsible for making these decisions, and
the minister behind me has done even more than that. The Leader of the
Opposition's record on these issues when it comes to defence skills is
to put up the cost of TAFE fees by 500 per cent. That is the Leader of the
Opposition's record on these issues. She put up the TAFE fees by up to
500 per cent, including in some of these courses that are directly related to
this work, and then she has the chutzpah to come in here and ask questions on
something about which she knows nothing. I doubt the Leader of the Opposition
has even seen a submarine. I doubt she has even been on a submarine. I doubt
she has even been to a naval base.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I doubt the Leader
of the Opposition knows anything whatsoever about these issues, and I am so
looking forward to her contribution in the matter of public interest later on
today. I am so looking forward to hearing what she is going to say, because we
will have something to say in response that will, once again, make it obvious
that she does not know anything about these issues and she does not know
anything about many issues.
for the question. In the Minister for Defence Issues, we have someone who is a former
naval officer, commanded a warship, commanded a clearance diving team and
served in two wars representing the Australian Navy and the Australian Defence
Force, and we have the Leader of the Opposition prepared to attack him over an
issue about which he is an expert. That is where the Liberal Party is at. I see
people such as the soon-to-depart member for Riverton shaking his head. The
Minister for Defence Issues is an expert on these issues. He has served with
people who make the decisions in Canberra about these issues. The Leader of the
Opposition, of all people, knows nothing about defence. She knows absolutely
zero about defence—less than zero about defence, if that is possible.
She knows nothing about these issues and she comes in here with this half-baked argument about these issues. It was this
government that took up the case for full-cycle docking. It was this
government.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There is
another one who knows nothing about defence!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, the
question has been asked. I am sure you want to hear the answer, because I do.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It was this
government that took up the case for full-cycle docking, it was this government that established Defence West, it was this
government that established the Defence Advocate, it was this government that put the business case to the federal
government on behalf of Western Australia and launched a public campaign, and
it was this government that got the reports done about the suitability of this
work being done in Western Australia and submitted it to the commonwealth
government. We have put a significant amount of money behind this issue—a
very significant amount of money. We do not want to get into a financial
bidding contest with South Australia. We want to ensure that Western Australia's
case is put forcefully and significantly to the commonwealth government, which
we have done.
I have met with the defence minister about these matters, I have
discussed the matter with the Prime Minister, I have met with the senior naval
officers and senior public servants responsible for making these decisions, and
the minister behind me has done even more than that. The Leader of the
Opposition's record on these issues when it comes to defence skills is
to put up the cost of TAFE fees by 500 per cent. That is the Leader of the
Opposition's record on these issues. She put up the TAFE fees by up to
500 per cent, including in some of these courses that are directly related to
this work, and then she has the chutzpah to come in here and ask questions on
something about which she knows nothing. I doubt the Leader of the Opposition
has even seen a submarine. I doubt she has even been on a submarine. I doubt
she has even been to a naval base.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I doubt the Leader
of the Opposition knows anything whatsoever about these issues, and I am so
looking forward to her contribution in the matter of public interest later on
today. I am so looking forward to hearing what she is going to say, because we
will have something to say in response that will, once again, make it obvious
that she does not know anything about these issues and she does not know
anything about many issues.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.