❓ Mrs. Stojkovski questions the Minister for Mines and Petroleum about the potential benefits of a federal Labor commitment to establish an Australian future mines centre in Perth and whether the current federal government has a similar commitment. The Minister welcomes the Labor announcement and criticises the current government's placement of METS Ignited in Brisbane.
AnsweredQoN 172Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FUTURE MINES CENTRE —
FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
172. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum:
Before
I start, on behalf of the member for Southern River, I acknowledge the group
from Thornlie Christian College in the public gallery today.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to driving jobs in the resources sector and
ensuring that Western Australia is at the forefront of mining, technology and
innovation.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house what the federal Labor opposition's
commitment to establish an Australian future mines centre in Perth if it wins
the next election would mean to the state?
(2) Can he advise whether he is
aware of any federal government commitment to set up a similar centre?
FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
172. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum:
Before
I start, on behalf of the member for Southern River, I acknowledge the group
from Thornlie Christian College in the public gallery today.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to driving jobs in the resources sector and
ensuring that Western Australia is at the forefront of mining, technology and
innovation.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house what the federal Labor opposition's
commitment to establish an Australian future mines centre in Perth if it wins
the next election would mean to the state?
(2) Can he advise whether he is
aware of any federal government commitment to set up a similar centre?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am very pleased to answer that question. I was very pleased to hear today Bill
Shorten's announcement that a future
Labor government would establish an Australian future mines centre here in Western
Australia . In an absolutely fabulous decision, the Shorten Labor Party
will support Western Australia with a $46 million contribution to an Australian
future mines centre. Mr Shorten announced the intention of an Australian future
mines centre recently at the Resources Week dinner in Canberra and it was
welcomed by everybody in the industry. I am very pleased that he has today
announced that such a centre will come to Western Australia because we are the
centre for mining in Australia; indeed, we are the global centre for mining.
This is in great contrast with the current government, which, when it set up
METS Ignited to support research, development and marketing in the mining
equipment, technology and services sector, placed it in Brisbane where the
minister lives rather than in Western Australia where the industry lives. I am
very disappointed that the current government has ignored Western Australia's
mining sector. I have warned the federal government that its mining strategy
should not get in the way of Western Australia's successful industry.
The position I have put to the federal government is that I am happy to see
support for mining in other states, but it cannot be done at the expense of Western
Australia. If it is done at the expense of Western
Australia—if we divert resources to Tasmania, Victoria or South
Australia away from WA—it is the nation that suffers. I am
disappointed that METS Ignited is housed in Queensland, but I am very pleased
that the Shorten Labor Party has promised to bring the Australian future mines
centre to Western Australia. Remember: future mines will be deeper, under cover
and harder to find, so this is a very important initiative.
I want to finish by saying that
when the current Prime Minister returns to Western Australia next week for
Liberal Party fundraising, I invite him to announce that he is supporting the
Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre for Western Australia,
because that is the best place for it. Perhaps when members on the other side
are at those fundraising dinners with the Prime Minister next week, they can
ask him to make the announcement and give Western Australia the —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Dawesville, I know you do a lot
of bike riding, but not a lot of talking goes with it; I call you to order for
the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : When the Prime Minister is here next
week for the series of fundraising events, I want to make sure that the Liberal members on the other side of the chamber put
pressure on him to make the announcement that Western Australia is going
to get the CRC for future battery industries.
am very pleased to answer that question. I was very pleased to hear today Bill
Shorten's announcement that a future
Labor government would establish an Australian future mines centre here in Western
Australia . In an absolutely fabulous decision, the Shorten Labor Party
will support Western Australia with a $46 million contribution to an Australian
future mines centre. Mr Shorten announced the intention of an Australian future
mines centre recently at the Resources Week dinner in Canberra and it was
welcomed by everybody in the industry. I am very pleased that he has today
announced that such a centre will come to Western Australia because we are the
centre for mining in Australia; indeed, we are the global centre for mining.
This is in great contrast with the current government, which, when it set up
METS Ignited to support research, development and marketing in the mining
equipment, technology and services sector, placed it in Brisbane where the
minister lives rather than in Western Australia where the industry lives. I am
very disappointed that the current government has ignored Western Australia's
mining sector. I have warned the federal government that its mining strategy
should not get in the way of Western Australia's successful industry.
The position I have put to the federal government is that I am happy to see
support for mining in other states, but it cannot be done at the expense of Western
Australia. If it is done at the expense of Western
Australia—if we divert resources to Tasmania, Victoria or South
Australia away from WA—it is the nation that suffers. I am
disappointed that METS Ignited is housed in Queensland, but I am very pleased
that the Shorten Labor Party has promised to bring the Australian future mines
centre to Western Australia. Remember: future mines will be deeper, under cover
and harder to find, so this is a very important initiative.
I want to finish by saying that
when the current Prime Minister returns to Western Australia next week for
Liberal Party fundraising, I invite him to announce that he is supporting the
Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre for Western Australia,
because that is the best place for it. Perhaps when members on the other side
are at those fundraising dinners with the Prime Minister next week, they can
ask him to make the announcement and give Western Australia the —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Dawesville, I know you do a lot
of bike riding, but not a lot of talking goes with it; I call you to order for
the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : When the Prime Minister is here next
week for the series of fundraising events, I want to make sure that the Liberal members on the other side of the chamber put
pressure on him to make the announcement that Western Australia is going
to get the CRC for future battery industries.
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.