Question regarding WorleyParsons contract for the Wheatstone LNG project and the Premier's commitment to local content, specifically addressing the offshore fabrication of project components. The Premier's response deflects the question by highlighting WA's strong employment figures and attacking the opposition's support for the MRRT and carbon tax.

AnsweredQoN 687Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 October 2011
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

WHEATSTONE LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS PROJECT — WORLEYPARSONS CONTRACT — LOCAL CONTENT
I have a supplementary question. Every time the Premier has got to his feet in this place, he has said that we are taking this matter of local content seriously. My supplementary question is this: the Premier has said now that he is serious about this issue. How can he be serious about a design and engineering sector and the growth of a skilled services sector when the skilled fabrication of those very projects that are for the benefit of Western Australia’s future generations is going offshore? When will the Premier get serious about intervening in this crisis? Mr C.J. BARNETT

AnswerView source ↗

I read in, I think, either The Australian or The Australian Financial Review yesterday about a very disparate trend in employment, and therefore unemployment, figures being shown between Western Australia and, to a lesser extent, Queensland and the other states. While the other states are clearly losing full-time jobs—good jobs—employment is growing strongly in this state. Indeed, the strong employment growth in Western Australia is concealing the very weak nature of the labour market in other states. So members opposite should not knock their own state; they should not knock the one state that is actually achieving. Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is all they do. Let us not forget that the member asking the question is a Labor member of Parliament who supports the minerals resource rent tax, and supports the carbon tax. Does he? Does the member for Willagee support them? Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I read in, I think, either The Australian or The Australian Financial Review yesterday about a very disparate trend in employment, and therefore unemployment, figures being shown between Western Australia and, to a lesser extent, Queensland and the other states. While the other states are clearly losing full-time jobs—good jobs—employment is growing strongly in this state. Indeed, the strong employment growth in Western Australia is concealing the very weak nature of the labour market in other states. So members opposite should not knock their own state; they should not knock the one state that is actually achieving. Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is all they do. Let us not forget that the member asking the question is a Labor member of Parliament who supports the minerals resource rent tax, and supports the carbon tax. Does he? Does the member for Willagee support them? Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
I read in, I think, either The Australian or The Australian Financial Review yesterday about a very disparate trend in employment, and therefore unemployment, figures being shown between Western Australia and, to a lesser extent, Queensland and the other states. While the other states are clearly losing full-time jobs—good jobs—employment is growing strongly in this state. Indeed, the strong employment growth in Western Australia is concealing the very weak nature of the labour market in other states. So members opposite should not knock their own state; they should not knock the one state that is actually achieving. Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is all they do. Let us not forget that the member asking the question is a Labor member of Parliament who supports the minerals resource rent tax, and supports the carbon tax. Does he? Does the member for Willagee support them? Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is all they do. Let us not forget that the member asking the question is a Labor member of Parliament who supports the minerals resource rent tax, and supports the carbon tax. Does he? Does the member for Willagee support them? Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is all they do. Let us not forget that the member asking the question is a Labor member of Parliament who supports the minerals resource rent tax, and supports the carbon tax. Does he? Does the member for Willagee support them? Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Let us not forget that the member asking the question is a Labor member of Parliament who supports the minerals resource rent tax, and supports the carbon tax. Does he? Does the member for Willagee support them? Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Here we have a Labor member of Parliament clearly supporting the MRRT and clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr P.C. Tinley : So you can’t answer the question. Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : No, I am answering the member’s question. He is clearly supporting — Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr P.C. Tinley : It’s classic: play the man and not the ball. That’s what you do! Grow a spine! Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Labor Party is clearly supporting the MRRT, and what — The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.
The SPEAKER : If I said to members that I was a little tired of hearing the yelling in this place, I do not think I would be exaggerating. I am not interested in having people yelling at the top of their voices in this chamber. Members, that concludes question time.

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