❓ A parliamentary question regarding a perceived "scare campaign" related to the Parmelia pipeline's capacity and gas supply disruptions. The Minister defends the government's actions and shifts blame to pipeline owners and the previous government.
AnsweredQoN 963Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I have a supplementary question. Considering the minister has just outlined that the full capacity of the Parmelia line was not used, why did he subject the public to such a scare campaign when it was not necessary? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
I have not conceded what the Leader of the National Party has outlined. I have said that arrangements were made to use the Mondarra gas storage facility. I do not have the precise details of how that facility was used. Therefore, I would not want to venture beyond what I have said on that matter. However, if the Leader of the National Party wants me to provide that information to him, I will, or if he wants to be directly briefed, I will arrange for him to be directly briefed. However, we must bear this in mind: the need for maintenance on that compressor station reduced Western Power’s gas supplies through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline by 80 per cent. That is a privately owned pipeline. Western Power has taken up with the private owners the need for that compressor station to be duplicated. It even offered to pay for the duplication of that compressor station. Western Power and the Government have taken all the measures possible to ensure that the essential service of electricity is supplied to Western Australians. If the Leader of the National Party wants to take the side of the privatised owners of the pipeline, or if he wants to take the side of the former Minister for Energy, the Leader of the Opposition, who left this Government with those very unfortunate contracts, he can go ahead and do that.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I have not conceded what the Leader of the National Party has outlined. I have said that arrangements were made to use the Mondarra gas storage facility. I do not have the precise details of how that facility was used. Therefore, I would not want to venture beyond what I have said on that matter. However, if the Leader of the National Party wants me to provide that information to him, I will, or if he wants to be directly briefed, I will arrange for him to be directly briefed. However, we must bear this in mind: the need for maintenance on that compressor station reduced Western Power’s gas supplies through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline by 80 per cent. That is a privately owned pipeline. Western Power has taken up with the private owners the need for that compressor station to be duplicated. It even offered to pay for the duplication of that compressor station. Western Power and the Government have taken all the measures possible to ensure that the essential service of electricity is supplied to Western Australians. If the Leader of the National Party wants to take the side of the privatised owners of the pipeline, or if he wants to take the side of the former Minister for Energy, the Leader of the Opposition, who left this Government with those very unfortunate contracts, he can go ahead and do that.
I have not conceded what the Leader of the National Party has outlined. I have said that arrangements were made to use the Mondarra gas storage facility. I do not have the precise details of how that facility was used. Therefore, I would not want to venture beyond what I have said on that matter. However, if the Leader of the National Party wants me to provide that information to him, I will, or if he wants to be directly briefed, I will arrange for him to be directly briefed. However, we must bear this in mind: the need for maintenance on that compressor station reduced Western Power’s gas supplies through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline by 80 per cent. That is a privately owned pipeline. Western Power has taken up with the private owners the need for that compressor station to be duplicated. It even offered to pay for the duplication of that compressor station. Western Power and the Government have taken all the measures possible to ensure that the essential service of electricity is supplied to Western Australians. If the Leader of the National Party wants to take the side of the privatised owners of the pipeline, or if he wants to take the side of the former Minister for Energy, the Leader of the Opposition, who left this Government with those very unfortunate contracts, he can go ahead and do that.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: I have not conceded what the Leader of the National Party has outlined. I have said that arrangements were made to use the Mondarra gas storage facility. I do not have the precise details of how that facility was used. Therefore, I would not want to venture beyond what I have said on that matter. However, if the Leader of the National Party wants me to provide that information to him, I will, or if he wants to be directly briefed, I will arrange for him to be directly briefed. However, we must bear this in mind: the need for maintenance on that compressor station reduced Western Power’s gas supplies through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline by 80 per cent. That is a privately owned pipeline. Western Power has taken up with the private owners the need for that compressor station to be duplicated. It even offered to pay for the duplication of that compressor station. Western Power and the Government have taken all the measures possible to ensure that the essential service of electricity is supplied to Western Australians. If the Leader of the National Party wants to take the side of the privatised owners of the pipeline, or if he wants to take the side of the former Minister for Energy, the Leader of the Opposition, who left this Government with those very unfortunate contracts, he can go ahead and do that.
I have not conceded what the Leader of the National Party has outlined. I have said that arrangements were made to use the Mondarra gas storage facility. I do not have the precise details of how that facility was used. Therefore, I would not want to venture beyond what I have said on that matter. However, if the Leader of the National Party wants me to provide that information to him, I will, or if he wants to be directly briefed, I will arrange for him to be directly briefed. However, we must bear this in mind: the need for maintenance on that compressor station reduced Western Power’s gas supplies through the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline by 80 per cent. That is a privately owned pipeline. Western Power has taken up with the private owners the need for that compressor station to be duplicated. It even offered to pay for the duplication of that compressor station. Western Power and the Government have taken all the measures possible to ensure that the essential service of electricity is supplied to Western Australians. If the Leader of the National Party wants to take the side of the privatised owners of the pipeline, or if he wants to take the side of the former Minister for Energy, the Leader of the Opposition, who left this Government with those very unfortunate contracts, he can go ahead and do that.
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