❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Energy about the adequacy of coal supplies for Collie power stations. The Minister assures that coal stockpiles are healthy due to Premier Coal's deliveries and criticizes the opposition's stance on coal energy.
AnsweredQoN 28Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SYNERGY —
PREMIER COAL SUPPLY CONTRACT
28. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Energy:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the minister guarantee that we will have adequate coal supplies for the
government coal-fired stations in Collie for the coming year?
PREMIER COAL SUPPLY CONTRACT
28. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Energy:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the minister guarantee that we will have adequate coal supplies for the
government coal-fired stations in Collie for the coming year?
AnswerView source ↗
Actually, I just said that.
Dr D.J. Honey : You didn't
say that.
The SPEAKER : Order, please! I
would just like the minister to answer. Thank you.
Mr
W.J. JOHNSTON : I always make the
suggestion to the member for Cottesloe that he should always listen to the
answer and not read out the prepared question. I said in my answer—this
is not the exact words, but the exact meaning—that because of the
careful management of the coal by the leadership and workforce, and the fact
that for every week from October to Christmas, and I understand it is
continuing, Premier Coal has been delivering the contracted volumes, our coal
stockpile is in a very healthy position. As I just said in answer to the member's
first question—I will repeat it, because clearly he was not listening,
otherwise he would know that I said this—that means that we are in the
strong position that even if the deliveries by Premier Coal this year are
short, we will have sufficient coal for next summer. I am just repeating that,
because even though the member asserted by interjection
that I had not answered that part of the question, I had actually specifically
answered that part of the question.
I want to thank the Premier Coal
workforce as well, and the contractor who moved the coal, who I understand was
a Bunbury local transport contractor.
This is an unusual situation. There
is now a view from the Liberal Party that coal is the future of energy in Western
Australia. I know that is based on the fact that Paul Murray in The West
Australian keeps writing that. There is nowhere in the world that thinks
that coal is the energy future. Members opposite have to understand that the
energy system is much more complex now than it was in the past. That is because
the rise of renewable energy means that coal-fired power stations have a harder
life working in the electricity system. It is not that we are against coal. I am
against no technology. I am in favour of a sensible debate.
I want to congratulate the member for Vasse for doing what I said
to her and stepping up and taking the leadership, and for getting rid of the
member for Cottesloe as the shadow minister for Energy. I want to congratulate
her for following my advice on those two things. I want her to follow some more
advice—that is, get the Liberal Party into
proper order here. The Liberal Party cannot go to the 2021 election saying the
Labor Party is too slow on closing coal and then go into opposition
saying we are too fast. It does not work like that. We are being congratulated
by every sensible commentator about our plan
in Western Australia. International people are coming to Western Australia to learn how we are doing the transition. That is because we are recognised as
being one of the best in the world.
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : There is an
organisation called Powering Beyond Coal. That is an international group of subnational jurisdictions. Those people are very
excited to learn about what we are doing here in Western Australia. They
have actually asked me—not that I have agreed—to go to Korea
and address their conference. That is because they
are so impressed by what Western Australia is doing. Get away from the
dinosaurs like Paul Murray in The West Australian . There
is no proper information that is written by that guy. Opposition members need
to get away from following his lead and start acting sensibly in this space.
Dr D.J. Honey : You didn't
say that.
The SPEAKER : Order, please! I
would just like the minister to answer. Thank you.
Mr
W.J. JOHNSTON : I always make the
suggestion to the member for Cottesloe that he should always listen to the
answer and not read out the prepared question. I said in my answer—this
is not the exact words, but the exact meaning—that because of the
careful management of the coal by the leadership and workforce, and the fact
that for every week from October to Christmas, and I understand it is
continuing, Premier Coal has been delivering the contracted volumes, our coal
stockpile is in a very healthy position. As I just said in answer to the member's
first question—I will repeat it, because clearly he was not listening,
otherwise he would know that I said this—that means that we are in the
strong position that even if the deliveries by Premier Coal this year are
short, we will have sufficient coal for next summer. I am just repeating that,
because even though the member asserted by interjection
that I had not answered that part of the question, I had actually specifically
answered that part of the question.
I want to thank the Premier Coal
workforce as well, and the contractor who moved the coal, who I understand was
a Bunbury local transport contractor.
This is an unusual situation. There
is now a view from the Liberal Party that coal is the future of energy in Western
Australia. I know that is based on the fact that Paul Murray in The West
Australian keeps writing that. There is nowhere in the world that thinks
that coal is the energy future. Members opposite have to understand that the
energy system is much more complex now than it was in the past. That is because
the rise of renewable energy means that coal-fired power stations have a harder
life working in the electricity system. It is not that we are against coal. I am
against no technology. I am in favour of a sensible debate.
I want to congratulate the member for Vasse for doing what I said
to her and stepping up and taking the leadership, and for getting rid of the
member for Cottesloe as the shadow minister for Energy. I want to congratulate
her for following my advice on those two things. I want her to follow some more
advice—that is, get the Liberal Party into
proper order here. The Liberal Party cannot go to the 2021 election saying the
Labor Party is too slow on closing coal and then go into opposition
saying we are too fast. It does not work like that. We are being congratulated
by every sensible commentator about our plan
in Western Australia. International people are coming to Western Australia to learn how we are doing the transition. That is because we are recognised as
being one of the best in the world.
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : There is an
organisation called Powering Beyond Coal. That is an international group of subnational jurisdictions. Those people are very
excited to learn about what we are doing here in Western Australia. They
have actually asked me—not that I have agreed—to go to Korea
and address their conference. That is because they
are so impressed by what Western Australia is doing. Get away from the
dinosaurs like Paul Murray in The West Australian . There
is no proper information that is written by that guy. Opposition members need
to get away from following his lead and start acting sensibly in this space.
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