❓ A parliamentary question regarding the potential for misinformation to hamper resource projects in Western Australia, specifically concerning an advertisement by Frack Free Geraldton and its claims about hydraulic fracturing.
AnsweredQoN 770Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RESOURCE
SECTOR — MISINFORMATION
770. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the minister please describe to the house how some
resource projects in Western Australia have the potential to be hampered by the
spread of misinformation?
SECTOR — MISINFORMATION
770. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the minister please describe to the house how some
resource projects in Western Australia have the potential to be hampered by the
spread of misinformation?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield for his question. Indeed,
it is an important issue that I want to raise with the house that relates to
the operational —
Mr P.B. Watson :
Take your hands out of your pockets!
The SPEAKER : Member for Albany, I call
you to order for the second time. If you want any guidance on decorum, another
time, thank you.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
One of the roles of the Department of Mines and Petroleum is to make sure that
misinformation on mining and petroleum issues is not scattered around. One of
the issues recently raised and brought to my attention and that of the legal
counsel of West Australian Newspapers was an advertisement put in The Geraldton
Guardian by the Frack Free Geraldton organisation, which is associated with
the Conservation Council of Western Australia. Unfortunately, I do not have a
large copy of the advertisement, but it basically attacks hydraulic fracturing,
or fracking as it is widely known, and uses very emotive language and
unsubstantiated claims, which the Australian Petroleum Production and
Exploration Association considered were possibly misleading and deceptive to
readers. APPEA lodged a complaint with West Australian Newspapers, which took
the complaint seriously and got a general counsel ruling on the advertisement.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the third time. I would not
shout out again if I were you.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Three specific statements made in the advertisement in The Geraldton Guardian concerned APPEA. The first statement reads —
Shale fracking, the process of
extracting gas by using toxic chemicals to crack deep rocks, can turn our water
into a dangerous chemical cocktail.
General counsel found that statement to be misleading and
deceptive.
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : I seek a point of clarification. Is this complaint made
by the department or by APPEA?
The
SPEAKER : Sorry, that is not a point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The question is about misinformation in a very important area. The second
statement in the advertisement, which is very important to Western Australia
and to the department, states —
Research in the US has found that
6% of fracking wells leak into ground water in their first year.
Frack Free Geraldton actually acknowledged that that was
wrong, so that was found to be misleading and deceptive. The third point made
in the advertisement to, I guess, spread fear amongst the Geraldton community
and the member for Moore's electorate, stated —
Once our water is contaminated, it
will be forever.
That was also found by general counsel to be misleading and
deceptive. I will table West Australian Newspapers' general counsel's
finding, because I think it well worth reading by all members in the house.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
That was also found to be misleading and deceptive.
Mr C.J. Tallentire :
How will it be cleaned up?
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Read the judgement, member.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Can
you wind this up, please.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Mr Speaker, I have wound it up. I table the advice, advertisement and the
general counsel's advice.
The SPEAKER : Table
those documents.
[See paper 2205.]
it is an important issue that I want to raise with the house that relates to
the operational —
Mr P.B. Watson :
Take your hands out of your pockets!
The SPEAKER : Member for Albany, I call
you to order for the second time. If you want any guidance on decorum, another
time, thank you.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
One of the roles of the Department of Mines and Petroleum is to make sure that
misinformation on mining and petroleum issues is not scattered around. One of
the issues recently raised and brought to my attention and that of the legal
counsel of West Australian Newspapers was an advertisement put in The Geraldton
Guardian by the Frack Free Geraldton organisation, which is associated with
the Conservation Council of Western Australia. Unfortunately, I do not have a
large copy of the advertisement, but it basically attacks hydraulic fracturing,
or fracking as it is widely known, and uses very emotive language and
unsubstantiated claims, which the Australian Petroleum Production and
Exploration Association considered were possibly misleading and deceptive to
readers. APPEA lodged a complaint with West Australian Newspapers, which took
the complaint seriously and got a general counsel ruling on the advertisement.
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the third time. I would not
shout out again if I were you.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Three specific statements made in the advertisement in The Geraldton Guardian concerned APPEA. The first statement reads —
Shale fracking, the process of
extracting gas by using toxic chemicals to crack deep rocks, can turn our water
into a dangerous chemical cocktail.
General counsel found that statement to be misleading and
deceptive.
Point of Order
Mr
B.S. WYATT : I seek a point of clarification. Is this complaint made
by the department or by APPEA?
The
SPEAKER : Sorry, that is not a point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The question is about misinformation in a very important area. The second
statement in the advertisement, which is very important to Western Australia
and to the department, states —
Research in the US has found that
6% of fracking wells leak into ground water in their first year.
Frack Free Geraldton actually acknowledged that that was
wrong, so that was found to be misleading and deceptive. The third point made
in the advertisement to, I guess, spread fear amongst the Geraldton community
and the member for Moore's electorate, stated —
Once our water is contaminated, it
will be forever.
That was also found by general counsel to be misleading and
deceptive. I will table West Australian Newspapers' general counsel's
finding, because I think it well worth reading by all members in the house.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
That was also found to be misleading and deceptive.
Mr C.J. Tallentire :
How will it be cleaned up?
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Read the judgement, member.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Can
you wind this up, please.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Mr Speaker, I have wound it up. I table the advice, advertisement and the
general counsel's advice.
The SPEAKER : Table
those documents.
[See paper 2205.]
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