❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier about infrastructure upgrades for AUKUS, citing a Senate estimates hearing. The Premier responds, highlighting the government's commitment to AUKUS and related agreements.
AnsweredQoN 781Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEFENCE
INDUSTRY — AUKUS — INFRASTRUCTURE
781. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to revelations in a Senate estimates hearing
yesterday that after two years, the Cook Labor government has still not engaged
with the commonwealth department of infrastructure regarding critical
infrastructure upgrades linked to AUKUS
planning. How can Western Australians have faith in this government when it
cannot even engage with its federal counterparts to deliver essential
infrastructure to meet WA's AUKUS obligations?
Several
members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, please.
Mr P.
Papalia : They are talking to the Department of Defence.
Mr R.H. Cook : I have lost track. Is this live
exports?
Mr P.J.
Rundle : AUKUS.
Mr R.H.
Cook : AUKUS, okay.
Mr R.S.
LOVE : Does the Premier want me to repeat the question?
Mr R.H.
Cook : Yes, does the member mind? Sorry, my apologies, member.
The SPEAKER : If the Premier would like you to, I am satisfied with you repeating it.
Mr R.S. LOVE : I am sorry that the Premier did
not hear me clearly. I refer to revelations in Senate estimates yesterday that
after two years, the Cook Labor government has still not engaged with the
commonwealth department of infrastructure regarding critical infrastructure
upgrades needed for AUKUS to be undertaken. How can Western Australians have
faith in this government when it cannot even engage with its federal counterparts
to deliver essential infrastructure to meet our AUKUS obligations?
INDUSTRY — AUKUS — INFRASTRUCTURE
781. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to revelations in a Senate estimates hearing
yesterday that after two years, the Cook Labor government has still not engaged
with the commonwealth department of infrastructure regarding critical
infrastructure upgrades linked to AUKUS
planning. How can Western Australians have faith in this government when it
cannot even engage with its federal counterparts to deliver essential
infrastructure to meet WA's AUKUS obligations?
Several
members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order, please.
Mr P.
Papalia : They are talking to the Department of Defence.
Mr R.H. Cook : I have lost track. Is this live
exports?
Mr P.J.
Rundle : AUKUS.
Mr R.H.
Cook : AUKUS, okay.
Mr R.S.
LOVE : Does the Premier want me to repeat the question?
Mr R.H.
Cook : Yes, does the member mind? Sorry, my apologies, member.
The SPEAKER : If the Premier would like you to, I am satisfied with you repeating it.
Mr R.S. LOVE : I am sorry that the Premier did
not hear me clearly. I refer to revelations in Senate estimates yesterday that
after two years, the Cook Labor government has still not engaged with the
commonwealth department of infrastructure regarding critical infrastructure
upgrades needed for AUKUS to be undertaken. How can Western Australians have
faith in this government when it cannot even engage with its federal counterparts
to deliver essential infrastructure to meet our AUKUS obligations?
AnswerView source ↗
My apologies, Madam
Speaker, and apologies, colleague. I had a blank for a second. The reason the Western
Australian community knows that AUKUS is a thing is the repeated
announcements that we have made with our friends in the commonwealth government
around the planning and preparation for what will be a significant industry in
our community. This is one of the pillars of
Diversify WA. It will represent tens upon tens of thousands of jobs into the future. It is an incredibly important opportunity for us, in terms of not only
economic diversification and WA jobs, but also in playing our role as part of
the AUKUS partnership. As the member will have noted, we recently actually
signed a comprehensive agreement with the commonwealth government that
described all the things that would need to be negotiated in the context of the
AUKUS partnership. That obviously goes to the issue of the defence construction
precinct, where we put our civil construction activities, what workers we need,
what skills those workers need to have, what infrastructure we need in relation
to transport and how that integrates with other work that we are doing at the
Kwinana strategic industrial area. It was a comprehensive agreement inked by me
and the Deputy Prime Minister. Of course, I would love to take all the credit,
but it comes down to the great work that the Minister for Defence Industry is
doing to get us to this point.
This is an exciting stage for Western Australia's
future. This will create a very large sector in our economy that will represent
extraordinary prosperity. That is not just down to the issue of the maintenance
and sustainment of the nuclear submarine
fleets that will visit our part of the world on a very regular basis, but also
the opportunities that will come into the multi-tens of billions of
dollars in contracts as a result of the opportunities to construct frigate and
optionally crewed surface vessels.
It is a big project. Obviously,
infrastructure plays a role. This will engage all levels of government and all
parts of government and will really significantly propel Western Australia into
the future.
As a footnote, my apologies again
for getting the question wrong.
Speaker, and apologies, colleague. I had a blank for a second. The reason the Western
Australian community knows that AUKUS is a thing is the repeated
announcements that we have made with our friends in the commonwealth government
around the planning and preparation for what will be a significant industry in
our community. This is one of the pillars of
Diversify WA. It will represent tens upon tens of thousands of jobs into the future. It is an incredibly important opportunity for us, in terms of not only
economic diversification and WA jobs, but also in playing our role as part of
the AUKUS partnership. As the member will have noted, we recently actually
signed a comprehensive agreement with the commonwealth government that
described all the things that would need to be negotiated in the context of the
AUKUS partnership. That obviously goes to the issue of the defence construction
precinct, where we put our civil construction activities, what workers we need,
what skills those workers need to have, what infrastructure we need in relation
to transport and how that integrates with other work that we are doing at the
Kwinana strategic industrial area. It was a comprehensive agreement inked by me
and the Deputy Prime Minister. Of course, I would love to take all the credit,
but it comes down to the great work that the Minister for Defence Industry is
doing to get us to this point.
This is an exciting stage for Western Australia's
future. This will create a very large sector in our economy that will represent
extraordinary prosperity. That is not just down to the issue of the maintenance
and sustainment of the nuclear submarine
fleets that will visit our part of the world on a very regular basis, but also
the opportunities that will come into the multi-tens of billions of
dollars in contracts as a result of the opportunities to construct frigate and
optionally crewed surface vessels.
It is a big project. Obviously,
infrastructure plays a role. This will engage all levels of government and all
parts of government and will really significantly propel Western Australia into
the future.
As a footnote, my apologies again
for getting the question wrong.
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