❓ Opposition raises concerns about job losses in fabricating industries due to lack of local content in major projects. Premier responds by highlighting government's success in securing projects and future job prospects, particularly for Aboriginal people, while downplaying the severity of the job losses.
AnsweredQoN 259Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FABRICATING INDUSTRIES — JOB LOSSES
I preface my question by congratulating the Kimberley Land Council on the deal that has been done on the Browse Basin gas proposal and say that now the challenge for the state is to deliver benefits to Western Australians from that project. That brings me to my question. Last week I visited Fitti Steel Fabrications in Yangebup. At that time this company had 20 employees, but it averages 50 employees and has a peak capacity of 80. Since I visited last week, two more workers have gone due to a lack of work. (1) Given that job losses in our fabricating industries are real and tangible, what real and tangible actions is the Premier taking to save jobs within our local workshops? (2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT
I preface my question by congratulating the Kimberley Land Council on the deal that has been done on the Browse Basin gas proposal and say that now the challenge for the state is to deliver benefits to Western Australians from that project. That brings me to my question. Last week I visited Fitti Steel Fabrications in Yangebup. At that time this company had 20 employees, but it averages 50 employees and has a peak capacity of 80. Since I visited last week, two more workers have gone due to a lack of work. (1) Given that job losses in our fabricating industries are real and tangible, what real and tangible actions is the Premier taking to save jobs within our local workshops? (2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Last week I visited Fitti Steel Fabrications in Yangebup. At that time this company had 20 employees, but it averages 50 employees and has a peak capacity of 80. Since I visited last week, two more workers have gone due to a lack of work. (1) Given that job losses in our fabricating industries are real and tangible, what real and tangible actions is the Premier taking to save jobs within our local workshops? (2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
(1) Given that job losses in our fabricating industries are real and tangible, what real and tangible actions is the Premier taking to save jobs within our local workshops? (2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
(2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
(1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Last week I visited Fitti Steel Fabrications in Yangebup. At that time this company had 20 employees, but it averages 50 employees and has a peak capacity of 80. Since I visited last week, two more workers have gone due to a lack of work. (1) Given that job losses in our fabricating industries are real and tangible, what real and tangible actions is the Premier taking to save jobs within our local workshops? (2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
(1) Given that job losses in our fabricating industries are real and tangible, what real and tangible actions is the Premier taking to save jobs within our local workshops? (2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
(2) Just today, on the front steps of this Parliament, workers from AGC told me that their company’s workforce is down from more than 700 at the peak of the last boom to approximately 140 today. When can AGC and these workers expect to see real and tangible government action on local content? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
(1)–(2) I am pleased the Leader of the Opposition congratulated the KLC, but he omitted to congratulate the government on the achievement at James Price Point. History will record that the Leader of the Opposition gave Aboriginal people a veto, he could not negotiate an outcome, he could not get to the point we got to, he did not have the goodwill, he could not sit down with them and he could not act in good faith. His failure is in stark contrast to what has been achieved by this side of politics. Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr M. McGowan : It’s un-Australian to say that. The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The SPEAKER : Take a seat Premier. It has taken a long time to get to question time today. Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : This government is achieving jobs — Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr M.P. Whitely interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Did the member for Bassendean make reference to Botswana? Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr M.P. Whitely : I said it is un-Botswanian to say what you just said! Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : That is unbelievable. The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The agreed consent agreement on the James Price Point site means there is a future for employment of Aboriginal people. Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition! Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : There is a future for employment of Aboriginal people and of all people in the Kimberley. A large amount of work and a large number of jobs will flow into the metropolitan area. Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : It has not happened before. Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : The Leader of the Opposition continually talks about the mining boom and I continually tell him that there is not a mining boom, as shown in the very examples he gives. Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : $106 billion dollars worth of projects and $115 billion planned. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today. I note that you are interested in getting an answer to this question. Some of the members to my left might not necessarily be interested in getting an answer. I give the call back to the Premier and I expect a little bit more quiet. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes, into the near future there will be an extraordinary array of very large projects that this government is working hard for. Members opposite seem to think these projects just walk in the door and that they are easy to acquire. I can assure them—I think I have had more experience with big projects than anyone in this house — Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Several members interjected. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I think I have. They are all difficult to acquire; they take real effort and real work. The first thing we need to do is get some of these larger projects happening. That is happening under this government—that is step one. Before we talk about who does the work, let us first get the project. The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about a company that has lost employees. That is regrettable, and there are others. But there are companies that are increasing their workforces quite dramatically. A few weeks ago, I opened the new Civmec Construction and Engineering Pty Ltd facility at the Australian Marine Complex. I went there early in January when it was operating at about three per cent capacity. Admittedly, it was still finishing off the shed. It is now well above that. Did I get any sense of apprehension about the future from the workers or the managers? No, I did not, because work from Gorgon was starting to accumulate; in fact, it had spilled outside the shed. It was busy. Mining services companies in this state are flat out, and there is a lot of activity and work coming. Again, I could find companies that are in decline, but, equally, I could find more companies growing and expanding. I stress that the projects, as dramatic, exciting and big as they are, are still prospective. Gorgon, which is the biggest of all of them to this point, is still in the preliminary stage of construction; it is still building accommodation for workers. It has not yet reached the steel fabrication stage. Other projects—for example, the Browse project—are yet to make a final investment decision. We are probably going to have a debate about this issue tomorrow, and that will be interesting. We will be able to look at the Labor Party’s record. The project that probably gets cited the most for a poor performance on local content is CITIC Pacific. Who set up the agreement for that? Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Who administers it? Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : It was well into construction by the time of the 2008 election. That is the project that imports footpaths from China, as the union movement likes to say. It is not a perfect world, but we will be doing a number of things. If the Leader of the Opposition brings on his bill tomorrow, we will listen to the points and we will respond, but we will also give examples of some spectacular failures, and some of them might just have been during his time in government.
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