Dr. Honey questions the Premier about the lack of transparency regarding the expenditure of $220 million of public funds related to Griffin Coal. The Premier cites commercial-in-confidence as the reason for limited disclosure, emphasizing energy security.

AnsweredQoN 638Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 September 2024
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

GRIFFIN
COAL
638. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Why is it impossible to
provide even the basic details of how $220 million of public money has been
spent?

AnswerView source ↗

I think that is a very good question. Because the member is a
former senior corporate officer at a multinational company, he will understand
the importance of commercial-in-confidence because it is an important part of
those companies remaining competitive. It is simply an unfortunate state of
affairs that we confront this situation. That is why I come into this place on
a regular basis to provide information and updates on the negotiations and
financial arrangements we have in place. We have nothing to hide here. I fully
appreciate and respect the question from the member. I think it is a very
legitimate question. It is a frustrating situation but it is not a situation of
our doing, or any government's doing. It is simply what we have been
handed.
In the context of the energy security needs of Western Australia,
we will always do what is right for WA. In this case, it is a matter of maintaining
our energy security to ensure we protect the interests of Western Australian
households and industry.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Members, that concludes question
time.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more