❓ Ms Shaw questions the Minister for Energy on how keeping Western Power public has benefited WA worker training and cleaner energy. The Minister defends the government's commitment and accuses the opposition of planning to privatise Western Power.
AnsweredQoN 1107Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN POWER —
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
1107. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to keeping Western Power in public hands.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how the decision to stop the privatisation of Western
Power has allowed a greater investment in training for WA workers, as well as
supported the government's commitment to delivering a cleaner and more
affordable energy supply?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house why it is only the McGowan Labor government that Western
Australians can trust to keep Western Power in public hands?
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
1107. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to keeping Western Power in public hands.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how the decision to stop the privatisation of Western
Power has allowed a greater investment in training for WA workers, as well as
supported the government's commitment to delivering a cleaner and more
affordable energy supply?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house why it is only the McGowan Labor government that Western
Australians can trust to keep Western Power in public hands?
AnswerView source ↗
Before
I answer, on behalf of the member for Bassendean, I want to acknowledge the
members of the Ashfield Primary School Parents and Citizens Association
who are in the gallery today.
I appreciate the question. It is a great
question.
(1)–(2) I
was recently able to inform the house about the standalone power system
training that has been engaged by Western Power to support the future skills of
Western Australian workers. That is being done in conjunction with the publicly owned TAFE college North Metropolitan TAFE.
I can also report that we are delivering 61 extra traineeship
opportunities this year through Western Power—19 apprentices compared
with 2016, when there were none; five new trainees compared with 2016, when
there were none; nine graduate trainees compared with 2016, when there were
none; and 26 pre-apprenticeships compared with 2016, when there were also none.
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan Hills!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : This shows that when we have a state-owned
enterprise, we can get it to do things that are in the interests of the
whole community. There is a danger for us here in this state, and that is of
course the potential for a change of government and the sale of Western Power.
I want to quote from budget paper No 1 from 2016. On page 6, it says —
Mr Speaker, I am announcing today
that the government proposes the sale of:
� Western Power �
Who was that?
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan Hills, listen to the
answer.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : When the Leader of the Opposition
was Deputy Premier, she supported through the Parliament
the budget proposing the sale of Western Power. That was her agenda. In October
2017, the then Deputy Leader of the Opposition went on radio and said
this —
The one big promise out there that
the Premier could break and solve his issues is to partially sell Western Power.
But that was not the end of it. In February 2018, on ABC
radio the then Deputy Leader of the Opposition said —
Sell Western Power � That is a good
solution.
She knows, and we all know, the Liberal Party. It is in its
DNA. It cannot help itself. It has to privatise. It has no choice. More
recently, the Liberal Party said that it would have a look at that policy
closer to the election. In 1996, the Liberal Party —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West Central, you threw
a couple of things up there and you got the crowd behind you, but I call you to
order for the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : In 1996, prior to the election, the
Liberal Party said that it would not sell Alinta. It said that it had no plans
to privatise. What did it do afterwards?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : It sold Alinta and it sold Wanneroo
Hospital.
Mr V.A. Catania : What about the TAB? Didn't
you say the same?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : No.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West Central!
Mr V.A. Catania : What about Landgate?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : We have not sold Landgate.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West Central, I call you
to order for the second and third time. You were too busy shouting to hear the
second call.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : This is one of the problems of the
Liberal Party. It will say anything. The facts are that the Labor Party did not
say that it would not sell the TAB. That is just not true. Go back and have a look
at what we said.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : It is not in my portfolio, but
anyone who comes in here and says that, is lying. Let us make it clear: Western
Power has only one way to be protected from privatisation and that is the
maintenance of a Labor government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : —
because only the Labor government believes in public enterprise. Only the Labor
government thinks that the best approach is to keep it in government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please,
I want to hear the answer. I am sure you do too.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Whether
people live in Albany, Perenjori or Perth, they know that they are going to be
better off with Western Power in government hands, and only the Labor Party
will not privatise Western Power.
Mr M.P. Murray : You're
gone!
The SPEAKER : No, but you will
be in a minute. I will put ''Minister for Ageing''!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It is the last
day; it is a happy day, so we will go in order, even if the member is very
slow!
I answer, on behalf of the member for Bassendean, I want to acknowledge the
members of the Ashfield Primary School Parents and Citizens Association
who are in the gallery today.
I appreciate the question. It is a great
question.
(1)–(2) I
was recently able to inform the house about the standalone power system
training that has been engaged by Western Power to support the future skills of
Western Australian workers. That is being done in conjunction with the publicly owned TAFE college North Metropolitan TAFE.
I can also report that we are delivering 61 extra traineeship
opportunities this year through Western Power—19 apprentices compared
with 2016, when there were none; five new trainees compared with 2016, when
there were none; nine graduate trainees compared with 2016, when there were
none; and 26 pre-apprenticeships compared with 2016, when there were also none.
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan Hills!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : This shows that when we have a state-owned
enterprise, we can get it to do things that are in the interests of the
whole community. There is a danger for us here in this state, and that is of
course the potential for a change of government and the sale of Western Power.
I want to quote from budget paper No 1 from 2016. On page 6, it says —
Mr Speaker, I am announcing today
that the government proposes the sale of:
� Western Power �
Who was that?
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Swan Hills, listen to the
answer.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : When the Leader of the Opposition
was Deputy Premier, she supported through the Parliament
the budget proposing the sale of Western Power. That was her agenda. In October
2017, the then Deputy Leader of the Opposition went on radio and said
this —
The one big promise out there that
the Premier could break and solve his issues is to partially sell Western Power.
But that was not the end of it. In February 2018, on ABC
radio the then Deputy Leader of the Opposition said —
Sell Western Power � That is a good
solution.
She knows, and we all know, the Liberal Party. It is in its
DNA. It cannot help itself. It has to privatise. It has no choice. More
recently, the Liberal Party said that it would have a look at that policy
closer to the election. In 1996, the Liberal Party —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West Central, you threw
a couple of things up there and you got the crowd behind you, but I call you to
order for the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : In 1996, prior to the election, the
Liberal Party said that it would not sell Alinta. It said that it had no plans
to privatise. What did it do afterwards?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : It sold Alinta and it sold Wanneroo
Hospital.
Mr V.A. Catania : What about the TAB? Didn't
you say the same?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : No.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West Central!
Mr V.A. Catania : What about Landgate?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : We have not sold Landgate.
The SPEAKER : Member for North West Central, I call you
to order for the second and third time. You were too busy shouting to hear the
second call.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : This is one of the problems of the
Liberal Party. It will say anything. The facts are that the Labor Party did not
say that it would not sell the TAB. That is just not true. Go back and have a look
at what we said.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : It is not in my portfolio, but
anyone who comes in here and says that, is lying. Let us make it clear: Western
Power has only one way to be protected from privatisation and that is the
maintenance of a Labor government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : —
because only the Labor government believes in public enterprise. Only the Labor
government thinks that the best approach is to keep it in government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please,
I want to hear the answer. I am sure you do too.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Whether
people live in Albany, Perenjori or Perth, they know that they are going to be
better off with Western Power in government hands, and only the Labor Party
will not privatise Western Power.
Mr M.P. Murray : You're
gone!
The SPEAKER : No, but you will
be in a minute. I will put ''Minister for Ageing''!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It is the last
day; it is a happy day, so we will go in order, even if the member is very
slow!
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.