❓ INFRASTRUCTURE WESTERN AUSTRALIA — MARKET-LED PROPOSALS 538. Mr M. HUGHES to the Premier: Before I ask my question, on behalf of the member for Forrestfield, I would like to acknowledge and welcome th
AnsweredQoN 538Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INFRASTRUCTURE WESTERN
AUSTRALIA — MARKET-LED PROPOSALS
538. Mr M. HUGHES to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Forrestfield, I would like to acknowledge and welcome the
student leaders from Edney Primary School.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the McGowan Labor government is delivering the
certainty and confidence to business that it needs to invest in job-creating
projects through both establishing Infrastructure Western Australia and
implementing its market-led proposals policy?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who is attempting to
undermine this business confidence?
AUSTRALIA — MARKET-LED PROPOSALS
538. Mr M. HUGHES to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Forrestfield, I would like to acknowledge and welcome the
student leaders from Edney Primary School.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the McGowan Labor government is delivering the
certainty and confidence to business that it needs to invest in job-creating
projects through both establishing Infrastructure Western Australia and
implementing its market-led proposals policy?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who is attempting to
undermine this business confidence?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalamunda for
the question. He is doing a very good job.
(1)–(2) Obviously, business in Western Australia has been
calling for certainty in infrastructure planning across our state. There are
two initiatives I would like to let members know about. The first is the whole-of-government policy to deal with market-led proposals—otherwise known as unsolicited
bids—which has been called for by industry for a long time. We have now
implemented that policy. It allows for a clear, consistent, transparent process
for the private sector to put forward proposals that can assist in creating
jobs and infrastructure in Western Australia. This policy assists in
encouraging innovation and delivering business certainty. All other states have
a market-led proposal policy, and Western Australia now has one as well. It is
attracting a fair bit of interest from private sector proponents.
The second thing I want to inform
members of is that the Infrastructure WA Bill has received assent and is now
part of the law of Western Australia. Again, it is something that industry and
business have been calling for.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : What are you—echoes?
Someone says it here and someone says it back there. Premier, continue.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The very dark
looking bald eagles are firing up. They are not happy fellows.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : So you
acknowledge that you are the bald eagles?
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, the member
is definitely not a bald eagle.
The government will be progressing with
filling the board of Infrastructure WA. There has been a very strong response
to the expressions of interest for new board members, and work on the
recruitment of the CEO of Infrastructure WA will start shortly. Their first
task will be the state's 20-year infrastructure strategy—a
long-term infrastructure strategy, as, indeed, other states have—which
has been overwhelmingly supported by business.
I was concerned about some of the
comments when this bill went through the upper house. I was very concerned by Hon
Michael Mischin , who compared the work
of Infrastructure WA to the plans of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia.
I want to read out what he had to say.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It must be a very happy party room;
members must be really happy in there! I want to quote what he had to say —
This agency will plan 20 years into
the future, then there will be five-year plans and 10-year plans. We saw how
successful Stalinist five-year plans were! Nazi Germany had four-year plans �
He is comparing an initiative that
is in place in virtually every major jurisdiction in Australia with the work of
Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. That is the level that the Liberal Party in Western
Australia is at.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : There are
some rules around the place and one is that people do not compare things to
Nazi Germany.
Hon
Simon O'Brien , one of my
colleagues when I was elected, said that the Liberal Party, when elected, will
dismantle Infrastructure WA. I expect that there would be a great deal of
concern in the business community if this is its policy. Certainly, the Liberal
government in New South Wales thinks it is a wonderful initiative for New South
Wales, as do Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. We will ensure that this
body operates very effectively and I hope that future governments embrace these
two very positive policy initiatives that this government has taken.
Distinguished Visitor —
Hon Terry ''Tuck'' Waldron Statement
The
SPEAKER : Members, before we have another question, I would like to
welcome to the public gallery Hon ''Tuck'' Waldron. I saw
something shining and it was Hon ''Tuck'' Waldron's head!
I remember when I was the runner for Claremont and one day I had to go out and
remind him that Larry Kickett had kicked eight goals and he had to come off.
That is a story that ''Tuck'' and I have talked about over the
years and it has stretched a bit!
the question. He is doing a very good job.
(1)–(2) Obviously, business in Western Australia has been
calling for certainty in infrastructure planning across our state. There are
two initiatives I would like to let members know about. The first is the whole-of-government policy to deal with market-led proposals—otherwise known as unsolicited
bids—which has been called for by industry for a long time. We have now
implemented that policy. It allows for a clear, consistent, transparent process
for the private sector to put forward proposals that can assist in creating
jobs and infrastructure in Western Australia. This policy assists in
encouraging innovation and delivering business certainty. All other states have
a market-led proposal policy, and Western Australia now has one as well. It is
attracting a fair bit of interest from private sector proponents.
The second thing I want to inform
members of is that the Infrastructure WA Bill has received assent and is now
part of the law of Western Australia. Again, it is something that industry and
business have been calling for.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : What are you—echoes?
Someone says it here and someone says it back there. Premier, continue.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The very dark
looking bald eagles are firing up. They are not happy fellows.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : So you
acknowledge that you are the bald eagles?
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, the member
is definitely not a bald eagle.
The government will be progressing with
filling the board of Infrastructure WA. There has been a very strong response
to the expressions of interest for new board members, and work on the
recruitment of the CEO of Infrastructure WA will start shortly. Their first
task will be the state's 20-year infrastructure strategy—a
long-term infrastructure strategy, as, indeed, other states have—which
has been overwhelmingly supported by business.
I was concerned about some of the
comments when this bill went through the upper house. I was very concerned by Hon
Michael Mischin , who compared the work
of Infrastructure WA to the plans of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia.
I want to read out what he had to say.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It must be a very happy party room;
members must be really happy in there! I want to quote what he had to say —
This agency will plan 20 years into
the future, then there will be five-year plans and 10-year plans. We saw how
successful Stalinist five-year plans were! Nazi Germany had four-year plans �
He is comparing an initiative that
is in place in virtually every major jurisdiction in Australia with the work of
Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. That is the level that the Liberal Party in Western
Australia is at.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : There are
some rules around the place and one is that people do not compare things to
Nazi Germany.
Hon
Simon O'Brien , one of my
colleagues when I was elected, said that the Liberal Party, when elected, will
dismantle Infrastructure WA. I expect that there would be a great deal of
concern in the business community if this is its policy. Certainly, the Liberal
government in New South Wales thinks it is a wonderful initiative for New South
Wales, as do Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. We will ensure that this
body operates very effectively and I hope that future governments embrace these
two very positive policy initiatives that this government has taken.
Distinguished Visitor —
Hon Terry ''Tuck'' Waldron Statement
The
SPEAKER : Members, before we have another question, I would like to
welcome to the public gallery Hon ''Tuck'' Waldron. I saw
something shining and it was Hon ''Tuck'' Waldron's head!
I remember when I was the runner for Claremont and one day I had to go out and
remind him that Larry Kickett had kicked eight goals and he had to come off.
That is a story that ''Tuck'' and I have talked about over the
years and it has stretched a bit!
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