❓ Question addresses electricity supply reliability in the wheatbelt and Bremer Bay. The Minister's answer details government actions, investment plans, and criticises the previous government's record on infrastructure spending.
AnsweredQoN 1180Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the condition of the wheatbelt and Bremer Bay electricity supplies. What can be done to address the reliability issues raised in these areas, and what are the underlying causes of the problem? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
In January 2002, the Government put in place regulations to provide external scrutiny of Western Power’s performance in meeting energy supply standards. For the first time, the regulation gave the Director of Energy Safety the power to investigate complaints by consumers and make remedial orders - a process that the former coalition Government, and in particular the Leader of the Opposition as a former Minister for Energy, simply refused to implement. Many complaints came from wheatbelt and Bremer Bay residents following the intense storms and fires late last year, which put the wheatbelt electricity network under immense strain. The Director of Energy Safety, pursuant to the regulations brought in by this Government, investigated these complaints and found that the age of, and increasing demands on, the network were significant contributing factors. As highlighted by the director in his report titled “Report on Consumer Complaints about Electricity Supply Network Reliability on the South West Interconnected System of Western Power”, these problems have been developing for many years and cannot be fixed overnight. Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: In January 2002, the Government put in place regulations to provide external scrutiny of Western Power’s performance in meeting energy supply standards. For the first time, the regulation gave the Director of Energy Safety the power to investigate complaints by consumers and make remedial orders - a process that the former coalition Government, and in particular the Leader of the Opposition as a former Minister for Energy, simply refused to implement. Many complaints came from wheatbelt and Bremer Bay residents following the intense storms and fires late last year, which put the wheatbelt electricity network under immense strain. The Director of Energy Safety, pursuant to the regulations brought in by this Government, investigated these complaints and found that the age of, and increasing demands on, the network were significant contributing factors. As highlighted by the director in his report titled “Report on Consumer Complaints about Electricity Supply Network Reliability on the South West Interconnected System of Western Power”, these problems have been developing for many years and cannot be fixed overnight. Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
In January 2002, the Government put in place regulations to provide external scrutiny of Western Power’s performance in meeting energy supply standards. For the first time, the regulation gave the Director of Energy Safety the power to investigate complaints by consumers and make remedial orders - a process that the former coalition Government, and in particular the Leader of the Opposition as a former Minister for Energy, simply refused to implement. Many complaints came from wheatbelt and Bremer Bay residents following the intense storms and fires late last year, which put the wheatbelt electricity network under immense strain. The Director of Energy Safety, pursuant to the regulations brought in by this Government, investigated these complaints and found that the age of, and increasing demands on, the network were significant contributing factors. As highlighted by the director in his report titled “Report on Consumer Complaints about Electricity Supply Network Reliability on the South West Interconnected System of Western Power”, these problems have been developing for many years and cannot be fixed overnight. Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
[See paper No 1608.]
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: In January 2002, the Government put in place regulations to provide external scrutiny of Western Power’s performance in meeting energy supply standards. For the first time, the regulation gave the Director of Energy Safety the power to investigate complaints by consumers and make remedial orders - a process that the former coalition Government, and in particular the Leader of the Opposition as a former Minister for Energy, simply refused to implement. Many complaints came from wheatbelt and Bremer Bay residents following the intense storms and fires late last year, which put the wheatbelt electricity network under immense strain. The Director of Energy Safety, pursuant to the regulations brought in by this Government, investigated these complaints and found that the age of, and increasing demands on, the network were significant contributing factors. As highlighted by the director in his report titled “Report on Consumer Complaints about Electricity Supply Network Reliability on the South West Interconnected System of Western Power”, these problems have been developing for many years and cannot be fixed overnight. Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
In January 2002, the Government put in place regulations to provide external scrutiny of Western Power’s performance in meeting energy supply standards. For the first time, the regulation gave the Director of Energy Safety the power to investigate complaints by consumers and make remedial orders - a process that the former coalition Government, and in particular the Leader of the Opposition as a former Minister for Energy, simply refused to implement. Many complaints came from wheatbelt and Bremer Bay residents following the intense storms and fires late last year, which put the wheatbelt electricity network under immense strain. The Director of Energy Safety, pursuant to the regulations brought in by this Government, investigated these complaints and found that the age of, and increasing demands on, the network were significant contributing factors. As highlighted by the director in his report titled “Report on Consumer Complaints about Electricity Supply Network Reliability on the South West Interconnected System of Western Power”, these problems have been developing for many years and cannot be fixed overnight. Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I hope the Leader of the National Party will listen closely to this rather than interject, because an important announcement is coming. I am pleased to announce that Western Power intends to spend $950 million over the next four years on transmission and distribution systems throughout the south west grid, and that it has taken some immediate steps to improve supplies at Toodyay, Northam, York, Koorda, Wongan Hills and Bremer Bay. However, we need to plan for the long term, not just for four years. For that reason, Western Power is developing a 10-year priority investment plan for distribution and transmission in the south west grid. Does the Leader of the National Party support a 10-year plan for investment? He will not answer. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
Mr E.S. RIPPER: It is also noteworthy that the Government intends to establish a government-owned electricity network corporation as part of its electricity reform package. A more competitive energy market means more private sector power stations, which decreases the need for public capital to be invested in power plants, which in turn frees up public capital for long-overdue investment in the network. That is a very important outcome of our electricity reform program. The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
The member asked what are the underlying causes of the deterioration of the network. There is one major cause. He is sitting in the chair of the Leader of the Opposition. As the Director of Energy Safety said in his report, the rot set in over the course of the past decade. For all the mock outrage of the Opposition and the National Party about the condition of the electricity network, when the Leader of the Opposition sold AlintaGas for $971 million, did he invest any of the proceeds in the regional electricity network? Not one cent of that privatisation did he invest in the electricity network. By comparison the Gallop Government has more than doubled spending on power supply distribution and maintenance in its first three years - more than doubled. The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
The Liberals and the Nationals when in government had a shameful record of neglect of regional electricity supplies. However, there is one way that the Liberal Opposition and the National Party can redeem themselves on the question of regional electricity supplies. They can vote for our electricity reform programs. I am pleased to table the report of the Director of Energy Safety. [See paper No 1608.]
[See paper No 1608.]
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Government Gazette
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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.