Debate regarding onshore processing of Browse gas, specifically whether the Premier will allow FLNG and if onshore, commit to the Burrup. The Premier avoids a direct answer, accusing the opposition of past inaction and highlighting negotiations with Aboriginal people.

AnsweredQoN 274Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 June 2013
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

BROWSE LNG PROJECT — ONSHORE PROCESSING
274. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. I ask again: will the
Premier allow state Browse gas to be processed by FLNG rather than come
onshore; and, if the Premier does want it to come onshore, will he commit it to
go to the Burrup?

AnswerView source ↗

There are a whole lot of
hypotheticals there. There are three gas fields, but they will be developed as
one. So there is going to be some pragmatism about this. But the Western
Australian position is that we want that gas to come onshore.
Mr
M. McGowan : Yes. But is that absolute? Everyone wants that. Is that
absolute?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition did not; he never supported that
when he was in government.
Mr
M. McGowan : Rubbish!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition did not! He left the Japanese —
Mr
M. McGowan : Rubbish! You make up things. It's a simple question.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : No. The Leader of the Opposition failed to deal with it.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The public needs to know. Under Labor, on the Ichthys field —
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the second time!
Premier, just answer the question.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : When Labor was in power, on the Ichthys project, it left the
Japanese companies to negotiate with the Aboriginal people. It actually
abrogated its responsibility as a government. This government has sat down with
the Aboriginal people —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt : Answer the question!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I am answering it. We have sat down with the Aboriginal
people—something the former Labor government could not do or would not
do—and we have negotiated an agreement on James Price Point. That is a
historic agreement. When I was in Broome a couple of weeks ago, they were
urging us to proceed with the project —
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : They were—the Jabirr Jabirr people—absolutely
urging us to go ahead with that project so that the mistakes of the past would
not happen again.
Mr
M. McGowan : So do you rule out FLNG? You did earlier. Is that a no?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Oh, is that a yes or a no! Grow up! I cannot dictate to companies
how they spend their money. They could go out tomorrow —
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Listen to this, member for Victoria Park. The federal Labor
government and the Labor minister from Western Australia are urging the state
to roll over and just grant all the entitlements to that gas, with no
conditions, now. I got a letter yesterday from him. That is what the federal
Labor Party is urging—just roll over, let them do floating LNG, with no
conditions, and get on with it. Well, the Western Australian government will
not do that.

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