❓ Dr. Thomas questions the cost of Synergy's coal import from Newcastle and accuses the government of hiding information due to embarrassment. The Minister declines to provide specific cost details, citing commercial confidentiality to protect Synergy's competitive position.
AnsweredQoN 1240Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SYNERGY — COAL IMPORTS
1240. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Energy:
I refer to Synergy's
unprecedented action to bring 103 000 tonnes of coal from Newcastle to Collie
last summer.
(1) Was the total
cost of bringing in the Newcastle coal $965 a tonne?
(2) If the
minister refuses to answer (1), why is he denying it?
(3) Was the total
cost associated with the purchase, transport and preparation of the 103 000
tonnes of coal that was brought in therefore approximately $99 395 000?
(4) Unless the
government is planning to repeat the exercise and bring more coal from
interstate to our struggling Western Australian coal mining hub of Collie, what
possible other reason could explain the disgraceful use of commercial
confidentiality to hide the government's embarrassment?
1240. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Energy:
I refer to Synergy's
unprecedented action to bring 103 000 tonnes of coal from Newcastle to Collie
last summer.
(1) Was the total
cost of bringing in the Newcastle coal $965 a tonne?
(2) If the
minister refuses to answer (1), why is he denying it?
(3) Was the total
cost associated with the purchase, transport and preparation of the 103 000
tonnes of coal that was brought in therefore approximately $99 395 000?
(4) Unless the
government is planning to repeat the exercise and bring more coal from
interstate to our struggling Western Australian coal mining hub of Collie, what
possible other reason could explain the disgraceful use of commercial
confidentiality to hide the government's embarrassment?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Energy.
(1)–(4) As
has previously been explained to Hon Dr Steve Thomas, Synergy operates in a regulated,
competitive market with other market competitors. To ensure that Synergy can
appropriately spend taxpayer funds in negotiated contracts with competitive
pricing and mitigate against the risk of suppliers taking advantage of Synergy
as a government trading enterprise if its contract terms were made public, the
details of Synergy's contractual arrangements with coal suppliers, including
costs associated with delivery, are commercial-in-confidence, as they would be
for Synergy's competitors. To do otherwise would unduly disadvantage
Synergy.
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Energy.
(1)–(4) As
has previously been explained to Hon Dr Steve Thomas, Synergy operates in a regulated,
competitive market with other market competitors. To ensure that Synergy can
appropriately spend taxpayer funds in negotiated contracts with competitive
pricing and mitigate against the risk of suppliers taking advantage of Synergy
as a government trading enterprise if its contract terms were made public, the
details of Synergy's contractual arrangements with coal suppliers, including
costs associated with delivery, are commercial-in-confidence, as they would be
for Synergy's competitors. To do otherwise would unduly disadvantage
Synergy.
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