❓ Mr Rundle questions the Premier's confidence in Minister MacTiernan, citing concerns over live exports, regional royalties, and agricultural support. The Premier strongly defends MacTiernan, highlighting her knowledge, achievements in regional WA, and criticising the federal government's actions.
AnsweredQoN 517Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT —
PERFORMANCE
517. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to the performance of Hon Alannah MacTiernan. Given
the minister has decimated live exports, decimated royalties for regions,
failed to stand up for the agricultural sector —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start again.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Thanks, Mr Speaker. I refer to the
performance of Hon Alannah MacTiernan. Given the minister has decimated live
exports —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my right!
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : — decimated royalties for
regions, failed to stand up for the agricultural sector, caused 12 months of
pain for community resource centres before changing her mind, and left the
government's regional development plan in disarray, does the Premier
still have confidence in the minister?
PERFORMANCE
517. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to the performance of Hon Alannah MacTiernan. Given
the minister has decimated live exports, decimated royalties for regions,
failed to stand up for the agricultural sector —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Start again.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Thanks, Mr Speaker. I refer to the
performance of Hon Alannah MacTiernan. Given the minister has decimated live
exports —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my right!
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : — decimated royalties for
regions, failed to stand up for the agricultural sector, caused 12 months of
pain for community resource centres before changing her mind, and left the
government's regional development plan in disarray, does the Premier
still have confidence in the minister?
AnswerView source ↗
I will say this: members opposite have had six weeks to come
up with some questions—six weeks! Six weeks off, six weeks sitting
around, and that is the best they can do! Minister Alannah MacTiernan is
outstanding.
Government members: Hear, hear!
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Members can go anywhere in regional Western
Australia and they will find that she is knowledgeable about and respected on a
whole range of subject matters, far more than is the member for Roe. As I said
to the member for Roe last time, if she was in this chamber he would be
mincemeat for trying to take up an argument with her.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I want to
address a few of the things the member had to say. The exact words were: she
has decimated the live export industry. That is what he said. What universe are
we living in when the federal government's National Party Minister
Littleproud closes the industry, yet somehow the state National Party blames Alannah
MacTiernan? What possible universe is he living in when that occurs? Honestly,
there is a lack of understanding of what has gone on there. The federal
government has closed it down! I understand that somehow, for the member, the
federal government has morphed into Alannah MacTiernan because perhaps, at one
time, she was a member of federal Parliament; therefore, it is her fault. I cannot
quite work out the logic.
The second point the member talked
about was agriculture. As I said, I was in Geraldton the other day. We went to
Chapman Valley and met with some of the local farmers. We are doing so many
innovative and exciting things in agriculture, but one of them is the expansion
of the national broadband network, which was put in place by the state Labor
government because the federal Liberal–National government has not put
it in for huge areas of farming communities across Western Australia. It is a $22
million program. We have the dogging program because of the wild dogs. We
understand that there is an issue with wild dogs. That is $25 million or
thereabouts including, or maybe excluding—we are certainly doing it—around
$7 million on fencing in the member's own electorate. In coming to the
member for Roe's electorate, there was another thing I have worked on
with Alannah MacTiernan in cabinet: we are actually saving a major industry in
his electorate. We are saving Cleveland–Cliffs. We are saving hundreds
of jobs in his electorate. When I went down there the other day, saving 400 or
so jobs in the member's electorate because this government has gone out
and done it, was he anywhere to be seen? No! He was nowhere to be seen. He was
probably off in Europe!
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : He should have
known that the Premier was coming to his electorate.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I want
to hear this.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The minister
and I are doing innovative and exciting things all over regional Western Australia.
I want to close on one. As I said earlier, I have been all over regional Western
Australia over the break. One place I went to was Bidyadanga. A lot of members
would not know where that was!
The SPEAKER : Premier! One
member of the National Party says, ''What about Moora?'' and then
the next one and then the next one. Just one of you say it; we understand what
it is anyway.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They would not
know where Bidyadanga was. Over the break —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Nedlands, I know where you are, too; I call you to order.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Over the
break, Hugh Jackman and I both went there!
We announced the sealing of the road
to Bidyadanga and the sealing of the airstrip. They are the sorts of innovative
and exciting things that we are doing in government and which the previous
government failed to do.
up with some questions—six weeks! Six weeks off, six weeks sitting
around, and that is the best they can do! Minister Alannah MacTiernan is
outstanding.
Government members: Hear, hear!
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Members can go anywhere in regional Western
Australia and they will find that she is knowledgeable about and respected on a
whole range of subject matters, far more than is the member for Roe. As I said
to the member for Roe last time, if she was in this chamber he would be
mincemeat for trying to take up an argument with her.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I want to
address a few of the things the member had to say. The exact words were: she
has decimated the live export industry. That is what he said. What universe are
we living in when the federal government's National Party Minister
Littleproud closes the industry, yet somehow the state National Party blames Alannah
MacTiernan? What possible universe is he living in when that occurs? Honestly,
there is a lack of understanding of what has gone on there. The federal
government has closed it down! I understand that somehow, for the member, the
federal government has morphed into Alannah MacTiernan because perhaps, at one
time, she was a member of federal Parliament; therefore, it is her fault. I cannot
quite work out the logic.
The second point the member talked
about was agriculture. As I said, I was in Geraldton the other day. We went to
Chapman Valley and met with some of the local farmers. We are doing so many
innovative and exciting things in agriculture, but one of them is the expansion
of the national broadband network, which was put in place by the state Labor
government because the federal Liberal–National government has not put
it in for huge areas of farming communities across Western Australia. It is a $22
million program. We have the dogging program because of the wild dogs. We
understand that there is an issue with wild dogs. That is $25 million or
thereabouts including, or maybe excluding—we are certainly doing it—around
$7 million on fencing in the member's own electorate. In coming to the
member for Roe's electorate, there was another thing I have worked on
with Alannah MacTiernan in cabinet: we are actually saving a major industry in
his electorate. We are saving Cleveland–Cliffs. We are saving hundreds
of jobs in his electorate. When I went down there the other day, saving 400 or
so jobs in the member's electorate because this government has gone out
and done it, was he anywhere to be seen? No! He was nowhere to be seen. He was
probably off in Europe!
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : He should have
known that the Premier was coming to his electorate.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I want
to hear this.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The minister
and I are doing innovative and exciting things all over regional Western Australia.
I want to close on one. As I said earlier, I have been all over regional Western
Australia over the break. One place I went to was Bidyadanga. A lot of members
would not know where that was!
The SPEAKER : Premier! One
member of the National Party says, ''What about Moora?'' and then
the next one and then the next one. Just one of you say it; we understand what
it is anyway.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They would not
know where Bidyadanga was. Over the break —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Nedlands, I know where you are, too; I call you to order.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Over the
break, Hugh Jackman and I both went there!
We announced the sealing of the road
to Bidyadanga and the sealing of the airstrip. They are the sorts of innovative
and exciting things that we are doing in government and which the previous
government failed to do.
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