❓ Mr. Love questions the Minister for Mines and Petroleum about why the Premier and Treasurer weren't notified of allegations related to gold bar content at the Perth Mint. The Minister defends the gold purity guarantee.
AnsweredQoN 152Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOLD
CORPORATION — GOLD BAR CONTENT
152. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I have a supplementary question. Why
did the minister not notify the Premier; Treasurer of the allegations, as he is
both the guarantor of the gold and was minister responsible at the time of the
doping program?
The SPEAKER : Before the
minister answers, it is a requirement to sit in the public gallery.
CORPORATION — GOLD BAR CONTENT
152. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I have a supplementary question. Why
did the minister not notify the Premier; Treasurer of the allegations, as he is
both the guarantor of the gold and was minister responsible at the time of the
doping program?
The SPEAKER : Before the
minister answers, it is a requirement to sit in the public gallery.
AnswerView source ↗
Again,
I answered this question in the upper house last week when it was asked of me
there, and I have just answered it here. I am going to answer it for a third
time and I explain again: the gold —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : At all
times during the term of office of the Labor government, the gold produced by
the Perth Mint has been 99.99 per cent gold.
That is exactly what is guaranteed. There is this ''gold giveaway'',
as it is called; that is the gold that goes beyond the minimum—beyond
the guarantee—and in every bar of gold, the 0.01 per cent varies. Just
as an example, there might be a mine —
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : For the second time in the row the minister's answer
bears no resemblance whatsoever to the question that was asked.
The
SPEAKER : Firstly, member for Cottesloe, you wait for the call before
you start to make your point of order. Secondly, your point of order is not
upheld; it is just your point of view.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Again, I just
want to emphasise: there might be a particular mine where there is some iron in
the gold that is sent to the Mint, or from another it might be copper that is sent
to the Mint. We do not guarantee, and we have
never provided a guarantee on, the 0.01 per cent. Our guarantee is in respect
of the 99.99 per cent. At no time was there ever any financial question
to be answered because all the gold bars produced by the Mint are guaranteed to
be 99.99 per cent, and subject to any individual bar and a manufacturing
problem, they all meet that arrangement.
I answered this question in the upper house last week when it was asked of me
there, and I have just answered it here. I am going to answer it for a third
time and I explain again: the gold —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : At all
times during the term of office of the Labor government, the gold produced by
the Perth Mint has been 99.99 per cent gold.
That is exactly what is guaranteed. There is this ''gold giveaway'',
as it is called; that is the gold that goes beyond the minimum—beyond
the guarantee—and in every bar of gold, the 0.01 per cent varies. Just
as an example, there might be a mine —
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : For the second time in the row the minister's answer
bears no resemblance whatsoever to the question that was asked.
The
SPEAKER : Firstly, member for Cottesloe, you wait for the call before
you start to make your point of order. Secondly, your point of order is not
upheld; it is just your point of view.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Again, I just
want to emphasise: there might be a particular mine where there is some iron in
the gold that is sent to the Mint, or from another it might be copper that is sent
to the Mint. We do not guarantee, and we have
never provided a guarantee on, the 0.01 per cent. Our guarantee is in respect
of the 99.99 per cent. At no time was there ever any financial question
to be answered because all the gold bars produced by the Mint are guaranteed to
be 99.99 per cent, and subject to any individual bar and a manufacturing
problem, they all meet that arrangement.
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