❓ The Minister for Energy responds to questions about the government's energy transition plan, criticising the opposition's past and present energy proposals, particularly regarding coal and nuclear power, and questioning their alignment with federal policies.
AnsweredQoN 431Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ENERGY POLICY
431. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to delivering reliable and affordable energy for Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's sensible approach to Western Australia's energy transition?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house if he is aware of any illogical or reckless
alternative energy proposals that are a risk to WA's future?
431. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to delivering reliable and affordable energy for Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's sensible approach to Western Australia's energy transition?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house if he is aware of any illogical or reckless
alternative energy proposals that are a risk to WA's future?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Thank
you, member for Collie–Preston. My thoughts are with you today given
what the member has had to wake up to this morning.
Where do I begin? There is so much
material here in front of me. I will try to get through it. Every election
period, it seems that our friends opposite come up with wackier and zanier
energy policies. If we go back to 2017, they wanted to flog off Western Power.
Imagine where we would be today if we had done that. We are the envy of the
country in terms of the security and the certainty we have with a publicly
owned utility allowing us to roll out
renewable energy. The east has enormous problems on the National Electricity Market because of the different private ownership of the utility network. We
avoided that and we dodged that bullet. Last election, they even went one
better. The opposition said, ''Let's get out of Collie coal''
in less than six months' time from
now actually. They said, ''Let's pull the cord on Collie and get
out of coal ; we'll be fine. We have these hydrogen plants; it
will all be fine.'' A couple of weeks ago, the opposition got its new
policy, which is to kick the can down the road and keep Collie going for as
long as possible. It will have to be for an eternity from what we heard this
morning. They said, ''Let's cross our fingers and hope it all
works out.''
The Cook Labor government will always
deliver clean, affordable and reliable power to the people of Western Australia,
and that is why we oppose the federal opposition's plan. This is not about
ideology for us. It is about ideology for the other side. It is steeped in
ideology and wishful thinking. It prays for a simple answer to very complex
issues. Hopefully it will sucker enough people to buy what it is trying to sell. For us, this is economics and common
sense alone. That is our way forward. That is how we decide on our
energy policies. This is why we oppose this plan on economics—commonsense
and practicality.
The member is right: what we heard
announced today would be costly and reckless. It is up to members opposite, I have
to say, to tell everyone in this state whether they stand with Peter Dutton or
they stand with Western Australia. Which is it? Who do they support? Do they
support Peter Dutton or do they support Western Australia? It is a very stark
and obvious choice to me. Who do you support, members—Western Australia
or Peter Dutton?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.R. WHITBY : The Leader of
the Liberal Party and Hon Dr Steve Thomas have acknowledged that nuclear power does not stack up in WA. They have said that.
I think they have said it again today. They need to stand up to Peter Dutton
and tell him that directly. Are they going to end the madness and stand
completely against Peter Dutton's plan?
Government members : Crickets!
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Crickets! Are
they going to acknowledge —
Several members interjected.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Hello,
National Party members are piping up. Can I ask them about their state
conference endorsing nuclear power?
The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to get back to
answering the question, please.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Will members opposite acknowledge the
CSIRO's finding that nuclear power is the most expensive form of energy
in the world? Will they admit that? Will they admit that even in autocratic
countries such as the United Arab Emirates, in which there is no public
consultation whatsoever—a bit like Peter Dutton's strategy in
Collie—it took 13 years to build a nuclear power station? Will they
acknowledge that nobody in Collie has asked for this to be built? Will they
acknowledge that there has been zero consultation on this major project? Will
they also acknowledge that we need firming energy that allows renewables into
the system? We do not want nuclear power; it has one speed and does not let
renewables into the system. What the Liberal Party is proposing would be
devastating to the investment markets that want to invest in renewable energy,
because there is no place for renewables when one has a nuclear power station.
The other point is that Western Australian households and businesses would pay
a huge amount more. There would be a massive increase in bills with nuclear
power.
The other thing that is very important to remember is that on
the radio this morning, Senator Hon Michaelia Cash said that we would probably
get a nuclear power station in Western Australia by 2050. That will really help
with emissions reductions to net zero! Net zero by 2050—we might turn
on the nuclear power station by then! The state policy would be to keep Collie
burning coal for the next 25 years in the hope that we would eventually get a nuclear
power station. We now know that the timeframe is at least 2050, so we are
talking about another 25 years of Collie coal. Where has the Liberal Party
factored in getting all this coal from, given that resources down there are
finite and that millions and millions of dollars would need to be spent to get
more coal or it would need to be imported from
somewhere else? Has the Liberal Party factored in the fact that the power
stations down there are old and need replacing?
Is it the Liberal Party's plan to invest hundreds of millions of
dollars in new coal-fired power generation— billions of dollars,
probably—to then turn it off in 25 years' time when the nuclear
power station starts there?
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I just remind you that
question time will be finite as well.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Thank you, Speaker.
What we heard today was nonsense. It is driven by ideology.
It is the wackiest and weirdest instalment of energy policy yet from members
opposite. Who thought it could get even worse, but it has! They need to stand
up and defend Western Australia's position.
you, member for Collie–Preston. My thoughts are with you today given
what the member has had to wake up to this morning.
Where do I begin? There is so much
material here in front of me. I will try to get through it. Every election
period, it seems that our friends opposite come up with wackier and zanier
energy policies. If we go back to 2017, they wanted to flog off Western Power.
Imagine where we would be today if we had done that. We are the envy of the
country in terms of the security and the certainty we have with a publicly
owned utility allowing us to roll out
renewable energy. The east has enormous problems on the National Electricity Market because of the different private ownership of the utility network. We
avoided that and we dodged that bullet. Last election, they even went one
better. The opposition said, ''Let's get out of Collie coal''
in less than six months' time from
now actually. They said, ''Let's pull the cord on Collie and get
out of coal ; we'll be fine. We have these hydrogen plants; it
will all be fine.'' A couple of weeks ago, the opposition got its new
policy, which is to kick the can down the road and keep Collie going for as
long as possible. It will have to be for an eternity from what we heard this
morning. They said, ''Let's cross our fingers and hope it all
works out.''
The Cook Labor government will always
deliver clean, affordable and reliable power to the people of Western Australia,
and that is why we oppose the federal opposition's plan. This is not about
ideology for us. It is about ideology for the other side. It is steeped in
ideology and wishful thinking. It prays for a simple answer to very complex
issues. Hopefully it will sucker enough people to buy what it is trying to sell. For us, this is economics and common
sense alone. That is our way forward. That is how we decide on our
energy policies. This is why we oppose this plan on economics—commonsense
and practicality.
The member is right: what we heard
announced today would be costly and reckless. It is up to members opposite, I have
to say, to tell everyone in this state whether they stand with Peter Dutton or
they stand with Western Australia. Which is it? Who do they support? Do they
support Peter Dutton or do they support Western Australia? It is a very stark
and obvious choice to me. Who do you support, members—Western Australia
or Peter Dutton?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.R. WHITBY : The Leader of
the Liberal Party and Hon Dr Steve Thomas have acknowledged that nuclear power does not stack up in WA. They have said that.
I think they have said it again today. They need to stand up to Peter Dutton
and tell him that directly. Are they going to end the madness and stand
completely against Peter Dutton's plan?
Government members : Crickets!
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Crickets! Are
they going to acknowledge —
Several members interjected.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Hello,
National Party members are piping up. Can I ask them about their state
conference endorsing nuclear power?
The SPEAKER : I ask the minister to get back to
answering the question, please.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Will members opposite acknowledge the
CSIRO's finding that nuclear power is the most expensive form of energy
in the world? Will they admit that? Will they admit that even in autocratic
countries such as the United Arab Emirates, in which there is no public
consultation whatsoever—a bit like Peter Dutton's strategy in
Collie—it took 13 years to build a nuclear power station? Will they
acknowledge that nobody in Collie has asked for this to be built? Will they
acknowledge that there has been zero consultation on this major project? Will
they also acknowledge that we need firming energy that allows renewables into
the system? We do not want nuclear power; it has one speed and does not let
renewables into the system. What the Liberal Party is proposing would be
devastating to the investment markets that want to invest in renewable energy,
because there is no place for renewables when one has a nuclear power station.
The other point is that Western Australian households and businesses would pay
a huge amount more. There would be a massive increase in bills with nuclear
power.
The other thing that is very important to remember is that on
the radio this morning, Senator Hon Michaelia Cash said that we would probably
get a nuclear power station in Western Australia by 2050. That will really help
with emissions reductions to net zero! Net zero by 2050—we might turn
on the nuclear power station by then! The state policy would be to keep Collie
burning coal for the next 25 years in the hope that we would eventually get a nuclear
power station. We now know that the timeframe is at least 2050, so we are
talking about another 25 years of Collie coal. Where has the Liberal Party
factored in getting all this coal from, given that resources down there are
finite and that millions and millions of dollars would need to be spent to get
more coal or it would need to be imported from
somewhere else? Has the Liberal Party factored in the fact that the power
stations down there are old and need replacing?
Is it the Liberal Party's plan to invest hundreds of millions of
dollars in new coal-fired power generation— billions of dollars,
probably—to then turn it off in 25 years' time when the nuclear
power station starts there?
The SPEAKER : Minister, can I just remind you that
question time will be finite as well.
Mr R.R. WHITBY : Thank you, Speaker.
What we heard today was nonsense. It is driven by ideology.
It is the wackiest and weirdest instalment of energy policy yet from members
opposite. Who thought it could get even worse, but it has! They need to stand
up and defend Western Australia's position.
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.