❓ Opposition proposes a Legislative Council select committee to review the Iron Ore Processing (Mineralogy Pty. Ltd.) Agreement Amendment Bill 2020. The Premier vehemently rejects the proposal, citing legal advice and the urgency of the matter.
AnsweredQoN 522Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
IRON ORE PROCESSING
(MINERALOGY PTY. LTD.) AGREEMENT AMENDMENT BILL 2020
522. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to Premier:
I refer to the serious matter
before the house; namely, the Iron Ore Processing (Mineralogy Pty. Ltd.)
Agreement Amendment Bill 2020. Will the Premier accept an opposition proposal
to establish a short, sharp and bipartisan Legislative Council select committee
to review the state's course of action in the best interests of
accountability and oversight, without compromising the state's
position?
(MINERALOGY PTY. LTD.) AGREEMENT AMENDMENT BILL 2020
522. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to Premier:
I refer to the serious matter
before the house; namely, the Iron Ore Processing (Mineralogy Pty. Ltd.)
Agreement Amendment Bill 2020. Will the Premier accept an opposition proposal
to establish a short, sharp and bipartisan Legislative Council select committee
to review the state's course of action in the best interests of
accountability and oversight, without compromising the state's
position?
AnswerView source ↗
The answer to that is: absolutely
not. We will not agree to any such measure whatsoever. I heard the Leader of
the Opposition at the start of her contribution to the second reading debate.
The first words she said were that the opposition would support the
legislation. So I thought, ''That is pretty clear. I can leave now and
get myself ready for question time. I cannot imagine that she would now change
position like this and say such a thing.'' The legislation has been
drafted on the advice of the Solicitor-General and the State Solicitor of Western
Australia, combined with the well-respected national law firm Clayton Utz. They
have come up with this as the way to deal with a diabolical and threatening
situation to the state's finances and to the financial future of Western
Australia. That is how it has been drafted and that is why it has been drafted.
This matter has now been on foot going back at least six years. It is reaching —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : You need to
listen. It will reach a potential conclusion later this year in which one
person, an arbitrator, could potentially rule against Western Australia to the
tune of $30 billion, or $30 thousand million. It would be sent from Western Australian
families to one selfish and greedy billionaire in Queensland because he did not get the right—because of Colin
Barnett's decision, which I support—to sell a project to a Chinese
company . He wants to sue the state.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Sorry, can
you repeat that?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the second time; I warned you yesterday.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Can you
repeat that?
Mr D.C. Nalder : I am not
allowed to.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There you go,
Mr Speaker. Honestly, it is incredible that the opposition would do this. The
decisions were made by Colin Barnett in 2012 and 2014. They were the correct
decisions. He made the correct decisions
about Mr Palmer's project. He made the right decisions but, ever since,
Mr Palmer has pursued arbitration and it started to come to a head in
July this year when we knew a decision was coming towards the end of the year or early next year and we knew it was a massive
risk to the people of Western Australia. The idea that the opposition would seek to delay this solution for some sort of political pointscoring or
some sort of payback for Mr Palmer's support for the Liberal Party is
frankly disgusting.
not. We will not agree to any such measure whatsoever. I heard the Leader of
the Opposition at the start of her contribution to the second reading debate.
The first words she said were that the opposition would support the
legislation. So I thought, ''That is pretty clear. I can leave now and
get myself ready for question time. I cannot imagine that she would now change
position like this and say such a thing.'' The legislation has been
drafted on the advice of the Solicitor-General and the State Solicitor of Western
Australia, combined with the well-respected national law firm Clayton Utz. They
have come up with this as the way to deal with a diabolical and threatening
situation to the state's finances and to the financial future of Western
Australia. That is how it has been drafted and that is why it has been drafted.
This matter has now been on foot going back at least six years. It is reaching —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : You need to
listen. It will reach a potential conclusion later this year in which one
person, an arbitrator, could potentially rule against Western Australia to the
tune of $30 billion, or $30 thousand million. It would be sent from Western Australian
families to one selfish and greedy billionaire in Queensland because he did not get the right—because of Colin
Barnett's decision, which I support—to sell a project to a Chinese
company . He wants to sue the state.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Sorry, can
you repeat that?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the second time; I warned you yesterday.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Can you
repeat that?
Mr D.C. Nalder : I am not
allowed to.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There you go,
Mr Speaker. Honestly, it is incredible that the opposition would do this. The
decisions were made by Colin Barnett in 2012 and 2014. They were the correct
decisions. He made the correct decisions
about Mr Palmer's project. He made the right decisions but, ever since,
Mr Palmer has pursued arbitration and it started to come to a head in
July this year when we knew a decision was coming towards the end of the year or early next year and we knew it was a massive
risk to the people of Western Australia. The idea that the opposition would seek to delay this solution for some sort of political pointscoring or
some sort of payback for Mr Palmer's support for the Liberal Party is
frankly disgusting.
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