❓ Question regarding government support for businesses and employees affected by the Apache Energy gas plant explosion. Premier responds, outlining collaboration with the Commonwealth and existing support structures.
AnsweredQoN 282Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
APACHE ENERGY GAS PLANT EXPLOSION — ASSISTANCE TO BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYEES
Before I ask my question of the Premier, I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of some years 6 and 7 students from Beaconsfield Primary School whom I had the pleasure of meeting outside Parliament House earlier. I refer to the significant economic impact of the gas crisis, which may potentially result in thousands of employees being stood down and hundreds of businesses ceasing operation. (1) What specific and practical guidance or support is the government providing to businesses and employees to assist them through this crisis? (2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
Before I ask my question of the Premier, I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of some years 6 and 7 students from Beaconsfield Primary School whom I had the pleasure of meeting outside Parliament House earlier. I refer to the significant economic impact of the gas crisis, which may potentially result in thousands of employees being stood down and hundreds of businesses ceasing operation. (1) What specific and practical guidance or support is the government providing to businesses and employees to assist them through this crisis? (2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
I refer to the significant economic impact of the gas crisis, which may potentially result in thousands of employees being stood down and hundreds of businesses ceasing operation. (1) What specific and practical guidance or support is the government providing to businesses and employees to assist them through this crisis? (2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
(1) What specific and practical guidance or support is the government providing to businesses and employees to assist them through this crisis? (2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
(2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
(1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
I refer to the significant economic impact of the gas crisis, which may potentially result in thousands of employees being stood down and hundreds of businesses ceasing operation. (1) What specific and practical guidance or support is the government providing to businesses and employees to assist them through this crisis? (2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
(1) What specific and practical guidance or support is the government providing to businesses and employees to assist them through this crisis? (2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
(2) Will the Premier follow my practical suggestion to establish telephone helplines for businesses and employees affected by the gas crisis who are yet to receive clear advice from the government; and, if not, why not? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
I thank the member for the question. (1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
(1)-(2) I reiterate what I have said every time this issue has come up. This is a serious matter that is creating a significant impact on the Western Australian economy, and I anticipate that there will be some very difficult times for parts of industry and particular families and individuals. Yesterday I spoke to the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and apprised her of the situation as we saw it here. I advised her that we anticipated that there would be some requirement for assistance from the commonwealth government for individuals—perhaps many. Today, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has responded in the following terms — The Commonwealth Government is working closely with Western Australian authorities to help minimise the impact of the significant disruption to WA’s natural gas supplies as a result of the explosion at the Apache Corporation facility at Varanus Island last week. The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance. In relation to specific businesses, we deliberately put the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia on the working group so that it would be able to act as a conduit for information in and out of the business community of Western Australia, as we did with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. I believe that that structure is good—it is the structure that was agreed to at our meeting on Sunday—and until I am advised that that structure needs finetuning or changing, I think that that is the methodology we should continue to pursue. We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in. Mr T. Buswell : What percentage of its supply? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
The Commonwealth very much welcomes the efforts by Apache Corp to rectify the damage to its pipelines as quickly as possible and the response of major energy users to prioritise their energy consumption. The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
The Commonwealth is also determined to ensure that any impact on the Western Australian community and the economy is minimised as a result of this incident. The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
The Commonwealth is prepared to make available assistance to those businesses and employees that are genuinely disadvantaged as a result of this incident. Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
Centrelink and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will be working with relevant WA Government agencies to devise the most effective way of delivering the assistance.
We are in a situation in which the impacts are uncertain, and from day to day the scenarios for some people and some companies change. I evidence that by pointing, for example, to Prime Laundry and Drycleaners, which over the weekend was of the view that it was going to be without gas. However, it was restored with a supply of gas by Monday afternoon, I think, subsequent to some information coming in.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not have that detail, but I think it was about 35 per cent. Members can see that the situation varies and is variable. I believe that with the continued cooperation of the business community, both big and small, through the two chambers, we will be able to deal with this matter well. It was particularly important for us to get commonwealth government guarantees of assistance, and we have that. It already has a structure in place through its offices that people can access for assistance if and when it is necessary. The Office of Energy is the focal point, the central point, to which all information is channelled via these groups, and then information goes out from there. My office and I and the Minister for Energy are represented by our officers on that committee. If and when necessary, we will be at committee meetings ourselves. Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr T. BUSWELL : You know one of you should be chairing that committee, Premier. Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Dr K.D. Hames : It should be the Minister for Energy. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : We had a discussion about the format. The last thing we want is a committee that thinks that unless a particular person is there—in this case at the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion—nothing happens. Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr T. BUSWELL : It’s called ownership. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I do not think any person in WA seriously questions the degree of seriousness with which we are addressing this issue. I was heartened by the support that we received from the business groups, the business representatives and so on to that effect. We will manage this issue, and we will manage it properly. Unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric is of absolutely no value. What is necessary is for the matter to be addressed maturely, properly, sincerely, cooperatively and honestly, and that is the approach that we are taking.
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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.