❓ Dr. Nahan questions the Premier about his knowledge of potential national security concerns related to a government contract awarded to Huawei. The Premier's response deflects, attacks the opposition leader's credibility, and accuses the opposition of supporting foreign property speculators.
AnsweredQoN 534Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS — HUAWEI
534. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's repeated denials of any
knowledge of the impact his government's awarding of the $136 million
contract to Huawei has had. Is the Premier telling the people of Western Australia
that his own department, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, did not
notify or discuss with him correspondence it sent to national security agencies
about the Department of the Premier and Cabinet's concerns involving
Huawei?
534. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's repeated denials of any
knowledge of the impact his government's awarding of the $136 million
contract to Huawei has had. Is the Premier telling the people of Western Australia
that his own department, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, did not
notify or discuss with him correspondence it sent to national security agencies
about the Department of the Premier and Cabinet's concerns involving
Huawei?
AnswerView source ↗
I have answered the question to the best of my knowledge. I do
know that we received correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs.
Perhaps that was in response to a letter from DPC, I am not sure. The
correspondence came back in relation to Huawei that said that the department
nationally did not have security concerns in relation to the matter. As I have
told the Leader of the Opposition, I was queried twice, and verbally. The Leader
of the Opposition sent people in to a private briefing who took photographs of
information. That is his quality. That is the standards the Leader of the
Opposition exhibits on national security matters. That is what he does. Today I
find it rather unusual that the Leader of the Opposition is asking these
questions. Immediately before question time, he was railing against foreign
property speculators paying their fair share of tax! He has to get some
consistency. We are trying to fix the former government's budget mess.
We are taking forward an initiative to make sure that foreign property
speculators pay some tax in this state and the Leader of the Opposition is
trying to defend and protect them! Every other state has it in place but the Western
Australian Liberal and National Parties are trying to stop them from paying
their fair share. They are the parties of the foreign property speculators.
That is who they defend—not ordinary Australian taxpayers and not
ordinary Western Australian taxpayers.
If the Leader of the Opposition wants to table whatever
information he has, or provide it to me, I am more than happy to answer it. At
the moment, the opposition does not seem capable of it because they are all
sitting there comatose and deflated, with barely a pulse. Look at the lot of
you! What has happened lately to make them all so depressed? You're so
glum. The only smiling face —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I gave your leader an extra
question, so do not shout all the way through it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I see only an occasional smiling face
from someone I think is a white-ant over there. There are a couple of white-ants.
We know that because the Leader of the Opposition said there were. I see John McGrath
smiling. The member for South Perth is smiling! He is smiling. Maybe he is one.
Maybe he is the pretender. Maybe it is him. I actually think they would not go
far wrong with him.
know that we received correspondence from the Department of Home Affairs.
Perhaps that was in response to a letter from DPC, I am not sure. The
correspondence came back in relation to Huawei that said that the department
nationally did not have security concerns in relation to the matter. As I have
told the Leader of the Opposition, I was queried twice, and verbally. The Leader
of the Opposition sent people in to a private briefing who took photographs of
information. That is his quality. That is the standards the Leader of the
Opposition exhibits on national security matters. That is what he does. Today I
find it rather unusual that the Leader of the Opposition is asking these
questions. Immediately before question time, he was railing against foreign
property speculators paying their fair share of tax! He has to get some
consistency. We are trying to fix the former government's budget mess.
We are taking forward an initiative to make sure that foreign property
speculators pay some tax in this state and the Leader of the Opposition is
trying to defend and protect them! Every other state has it in place but the Western
Australian Liberal and National Parties are trying to stop them from paying
their fair share. They are the parties of the foreign property speculators.
That is who they defend—not ordinary Australian taxpayers and not
ordinary Western Australian taxpayers.
If the Leader of the Opposition wants to table whatever
information he has, or provide it to me, I am more than happy to answer it. At
the moment, the opposition does not seem capable of it because they are all
sitting there comatose and deflated, with barely a pulse. Look at the lot of
you! What has happened lately to make them all so depressed? You're so
glum. The only smiling face —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I gave your leader an extra
question, so do not shout all the way through it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I see only an occasional smiling face
from someone I think is a white-ant over there. There are a couple of white-ants.
We know that because the Leader of the Opposition said there were. I see John McGrath
smiling. The member for South Perth is smiling! He is smiling. Maybe he is one.
Maybe he is the pretender. Maybe it is him. I actually think they would not go
far wrong with him.
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