❓ Question regarding the McGowan government's efforts to attract investment and create jobs in WA, and concerns about Clive Palmer's actions potentially jeopardising these efforts, particularly at the Sino Iron project.
AnsweredQoN 309Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SINO IRON — CLIVE
PALMER
The SPEAKER : The member for
Forrestfield.
Mr S.J. PRICE : Thank you,
Your Excellency!
Several members interjected.
309. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
On
behalf of the member for Wanneroo, I welcome the student leaders and Ms Block
from Carramar Primary School here today.
(1) Can the Premier update the house how the McGowan
Labor government is continuing to attract investment in Western Australia,
grow the state's economy and create jobs?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house if he is aware of anyone who is putting that
investment at risk and threatening Western Australian jobs?
PALMER
The SPEAKER : The member for
Forrestfield.
Mr S.J. PRICE : Thank you,
Your Excellency!
Several members interjected.
309. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
On
behalf of the member for Wanneroo, I welcome the student leaders and Ms Block
from Carramar Primary School here today.
(1) Can the Premier update the house how the McGowan
Labor government is continuing to attract investment in Western Australia,
grow the state's economy and create jobs?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house if he is aware of anyone who is putting that
investment at risk and threatening Western Australian jobs?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield
for the question.
(1)–(2) We
are determined to provide confidence to the business community to invest in Western
Australia and ensure that we can get on with the job of getting the state back
on track and creating jobs. Since we have been in office, 37 000 jobs have been
created in Western Australia. Recently, we saw Fortescue Metals Group's
Eliwana project take a big step forward, with the Environmental Protection
Authority recommending approval. We saw FMG
commit $3.7 billion towards the Iron Bridge project. The Deloitte Access
Economics report from March showed that there was $19.4 billion worth of
investment projects under construction, and that is a 10.3 per cent increase on
the previous quarter. Yesterday, we saw the Chevron and Brookfield arrangement
to build a magnificent new building at Elizabeth Quay. We are working with
Woodside and other joint-venture partners to get the Browse and Scarborough
projects to a final investment decision. We are hopeful about a final
investment decision on both of those projects this year, next year or in early
2021. That is something the government has worked on constructively with those
companies. They are very major projects—multibillion-dollar projects—and
they do not happen overnight, but they will create thousands of jobs.
I am growing increasingly concerned
about someone who is posing a threat not just to investment but to jobs in Western
Australia. Clive Palmer is directly threatening more than 3 000 jobs at the
Sino Iron project in the Pilbara. Clive Palmer, who has made many millions out
of that project, is now stopping Sino Iron from expanding and operating
properly. The state government is continuing to explore its legal options
regarding Clive Palmer's threat to the more than 3 000 Western Australians
who work on the Sino Iron project. Mr Palmer does not employ anyone on that
project. He milks more than $1 million a day cash from the Chinese investors
and then attacks Chinese investment. He is a greedy hypocrite. He is running a disgraceful
attack on our biggest trading partner. Mr Palmer takes and does not give. He
does not pay his workers. He rips off Aboriginal people. He is threatening Western
Australian jobs. He has moved his company to Singapore. It is disappointing and
dangerous that the Liberal Party has entered into a preference deal with Mr Palmer.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I hope, Mr
Speaker —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Hillarys.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I hope the
Leader of the Opposition —
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I have warned you four times; I call you to order for the first
time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I hope the
Leader of the Opposition does not support this preference deal and still
supports this government's efforts to resolve the issues between Sino
Iron and Mr Palmer, including potential legislation.
for the question.
(1)–(2) We
are determined to provide confidence to the business community to invest in Western
Australia and ensure that we can get on with the job of getting the state back
on track and creating jobs. Since we have been in office, 37 000 jobs have been
created in Western Australia. Recently, we saw Fortescue Metals Group's
Eliwana project take a big step forward, with the Environmental Protection
Authority recommending approval. We saw FMG
commit $3.7 billion towards the Iron Bridge project. The Deloitte Access
Economics report from March showed that there was $19.4 billion worth of
investment projects under construction, and that is a 10.3 per cent increase on
the previous quarter. Yesterday, we saw the Chevron and Brookfield arrangement
to build a magnificent new building at Elizabeth Quay. We are working with
Woodside and other joint-venture partners to get the Browse and Scarborough
projects to a final investment decision. We are hopeful about a final
investment decision on both of those projects this year, next year or in early
2021. That is something the government has worked on constructively with those
companies. They are very major projects—multibillion-dollar projects—and
they do not happen overnight, but they will create thousands of jobs.
I am growing increasingly concerned
about someone who is posing a threat not just to investment but to jobs in Western
Australia. Clive Palmer is directly threatening more than 3 000 jobs at the
Sino Iron project in the Pilbara. Clive Palmer, who has made many millions out
of that project, is now stopping Sino Iron from expanding and operating
properly. The state government is continuing to explore its legal options
regarding Clive Palmer's threat to the more than 3 000 Western Australians
who work on the Sino Iron project. Mr Palmer does not employ anyone on that
project. He milks more than $1 million a day cash from the Chinese investors
and then attacks Chinese investment. He is a greedy hypocrite. He is running a disgraceful
attack on our biggest trading partner. Mr Palmer takes and does not give. He
does not pay his workers. He rips off Aboriginal people. He is threatening Western
Australian jobs. He has moved his company to Singapore. It is disappointing and
dangerous that the Liberal Party has entered into a preference deal with Mr Palmer.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I hope, Mr
Speaker —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Hillarys.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I hope the
Leader of the Opposition —
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I have warned you four times; I call you to order for the first
time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I hope the
Leader of the Opposition does not support this preference deal and still
supports this government's efforts to resolve the issues between Sino
Iron and Mr Palmer, including potential legislation.
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