❓ Dr. Honey questions the Premier's comments on the US election and its potential impact on WA jobs. The Premier defends his remarks, criticising the opposition's focus and affirming his commitment to working with any future US President.
AnsweredQoN 772Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
UNITED STATES
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION — PREMIER'S COMMENTS
772. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I refer to comments attributed to
the Premier in The West Australian yesterday that a Donald Trump victory
in the United States is a threat to Western Australian jobs. Further, he
indicated his support for presidential candidate Kamala Harris and that the re-election of the former president Donald
Trump represents ''darkness'' and a ''dark road ''.
Given that the United States is the single largest overseas investor in
Australia and has become our most important partners in growing our critical
sector —
(1) How much
influence does the Premier believe he wields over voters in the United States'
presidential election race?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Pause,
please, member for Cottesloe. This question is for the Premier to answer.
Dr D.J. HONEY : I have a second
question.
(2) How is Western
Australia helped by the Premier making such negative comments about a possible
future President of the United States?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Education, I am endeavouring to give the Premier the call. Your interjection
only provoked the member for Cottesloe to respond, which was not helpful.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION — PREMIER'S COMMENTS
772. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I refer to comments attributed to
the Premier in The West Australian yesterday that a Donald Trump victory
in the United States is a threat to Western Australian jobs. Further, he
indicated his support for presidential candidate Kamala Harris and that the re-election of the former president Donald
Trump represents ''darkness'' and a ''dark road ''.
Given that the United States is the single largest overseas investor in
Australia and has become our most important partners in growing our critical
sector —
(1) How much
influence does the Premier believe he wields over voters in the United States'
presidential election race?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Pause,
please, member for Cottesloe. This question is for the Premier to answer.
Dr D.J. HONEY : I have a second
question.
(2) How is Western
Australia helped by the Premier making such negative comments about a possible
future President of the United States?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Education, I am endeavouring to give the Premier the call. Your interjection
only provoked the member for Cottesloe to respond, which was not helpful.
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. We obviously have visitors to the chamber
today, and I want to acknowledge them all.
We say to them that the moments we have in this place are precious; they are
precious times in which we can do important things on behalf of the
people of Western Australia. We have just three weeks—two and a half
now—in relation to outlining what we can be doing in 2025 on behalf of
the people of Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : Instead, here
I am answering a question from the other side; their very first question of the
day, by the way—it is not something they held in reserve just in case
they had time—is about the result of an election that is taking place
in another country!
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order! Premier,
just pause for a moment. Member for Cottesloe, if you continue to interject,
you will not have the opportunity of a supplementary question, so make your
choice.
Mr R.H. COOK : I was
responding to questions yesterday from members of the media, and I did express
concern for Western Australian jobs. That is what we care about on this side.
Let us do the postscript here: that is what we care about on this side, not
undertaking some sort of cheer squad on behalf of the Republican Party in the
US. We actually care about Western Australians, so that is the basis upon which
I responded as both the Premier and the minister for jobs and trade. There is
no doubt that we are now in a period of global flux in global trading relations
and that may have an impact on our biggest customer, which is China. It is only
a point of fact. It is obvious that that would be a question of some curiosity
to the media.
Of course, this gives more exposure
to just how pathetic members are on the other side: they have dedicated their
first question to some esoteric conversation about the outcome of the US
election. This is how hopeless they are. Everyone should take note of just how
easily they are distracted and how hopeless they are. They have no narrative,
so they are just bouncing around from issue to issue. This has caught the
attention of the member for Cottesloe in the last 24 hours. He is up on his
feet and asking questions about these things. Quite frankly, this is perhaps
one of the most exposing questions of the week. It really shows just how
pathetic you all are. I also note—I can speak with great authority here—that
I will spend as much time with President-elect Trump, if that is what he
becomes, as I have with President Biden. I want
the member to know that I will work as tirelessly with the new incumbent at the White House as I have with the current incumbent. Just quietly, I am not
sure that those in the corridors of the White House at the moment are paying
much attention to what the member for Cottesloe is thinking.
thank the member for the question. We obviously have visitors to the chamber
today, and I want to acknowledge them all.
We say to them that the moments we have in this place are precious; they are
precious times in which we can do important things on behalf of the
people of Western Australia. We have just three weeks—two and a half
now—in relation to outlining what we can be doing in 2025 on behalf of
the people of Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : Instead, here
I am answering a question from the other side; their very first question of the
day, by the way—it is not something they held in reserve just in case
they had time—is about the result of an election that is taking place
in another country!
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order! Premier,
just pause for a moment. Member for Cottesloe, if you continue to interject,
you will not have the opportunity of a supplementary question, so make your
choice.
Mr R.H. COOK : I was
responding to questions yesterday from members of the media, and I did express
concern for Western Australian jobs. That is what we care about on this side.
Let us do the postscript here: that is what we care about on this side, not
undertaking some sort of cheer squad on behalf of the Republican Party in the
US. We actually care about Western Australians, so that is the basis upon which
I responded as both the Premier and the minister for jobs and trade. There is
no doubt that we are now in a period of global flux in global trading relations
and that may have an impact on our biggest customer, which is China. It is only
a point of fact. It is obvious that that would be a question of some curiosity
to the media.
Of course, this gives more exposure
to just how pathetic members are on the other side: they have dedicated their
first question to some esoteric conversation about the outcome of the US
election. This is how hopeless they are. Everyone should take note of just how
easily they are distracted and how hopeless they are. They have no narrative,
so they are just bouncing around from issue to issue. This has caught the
attention of the member for Cottesloe in the last 24 hours. He is up on his
feet and asking questions about these things. Quite frankly, this is perhaps
one of the most exposing questions of the week. It really shows just how
pathetic you all are. I also note—I can speak with great authority here—that
I will spend as much time with President-elect Trump, if that is what he
becomes, as I have with President Biden. I want
the member to know that I will work as tirelessly with the new incumbent at the White House as I have with the current incumbent. Just quietly, I am not
sure that those in the corridors of the White House at the moment are paying
much attention to what the member for Cottesloe is thinking.
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