Hon. Kate Doust questions the Minister for Commerce regarding a potential takeover of the Innovation Centre at Bentley by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA). The Minister's response indicates exploratory discussions are underway, but no decisions have been made.

AnsweredQoN 334Legislative Council
Asked
25 March 2015
Portfolio
Commerce

QuestionView source ↗

INNOVATION CENTRE
334. Hon
KATE DOUST to the Minister for Commerce:
I refer to the question I asked yesterday about the Chamber
of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and its potential takeover of the
Innovation Centre at Bentley.
(1) Can the
minister please explain how the CCI could offer any better options for
innovators than what is currently available at Bentley?
(2) Would
start-up companies have to become CCIWA members if they want to access the
facility if CCIWA ends up managing the Innovation Centre?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2)
As I indicated yesterday, it was an informal approach by an officer of the
CCIWA asking whether the government would be prepared to relinquish control of
the Innovative Centre to CCI to manage. As I indicated, I was exploring the
possibility and discussions are in place with CCI to find out what it plans and
how it intends to do it. It is very premature to start discussing details of
those sorts of things when the matter is simply an idea that is being explored
at this stage.
Hon Kate Doust interjected.
Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN : I understand that the Labor Party
has ideological views about not exploring any new ideas at all, but I am
certainly prepared to do that.
Hon Kate Doust interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
Hon Kate Doust interjected.
Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN : I am sorry, Mr President, but I am
trying to answer the question, and I am getting a dialogue and an argument from
the other side.
It is an idea that has been floated.
I am exploring the idea to see what the bounds of it are, whether it is
practicable, viable and something that ought to be explored further and
developed.
Hon Kate Doust interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order!

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