❓ Opposition MP Blayney questions the Minister for Fisheries about the Western Rock Lobster fishery management, alleging a 'socialist agenda of nationalisation' and lack of transparency with the Premier. The Minister defends the policy as aiming to increase economic benefits for WA from a public resource.
AnsweredQoN 70Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN ROCK LOBSTER
FISHERY
70. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Fisheries:
My question is to the Minister for
Fisheries.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr I.C. BLAYNEY : Minister, I refer
to my questions of last week to the Premier regarding the minister's
handling of the partial nationalisation of the rock lobster industry. I note
the Premier's response, in which he described the minister as
passionate, rather than giving the minister his full confidence.
(1) Did the
minister tell the Premier prior to the signing of the term sheet that the
industry was vehemently opposed to his socialist agenda of nationalisation?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer.
Mr I.C. BLAYNEY : I continue —
(2) Did the
minister tell the Premier that he threatened to take away fishers'
licences and re-issue them by exemption if the industry did not support his
plan; and, if he did not tell the Premier that, why not?
FISHERY
70. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the Minister for Fisheries:
My question is to the Minister for
Fisheries.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr I.C. BLAYNEY : Minister, I refer
to my questions of last week to the Premier regarding the minister's
handling of the partial nationalisation of the rock lobster industry. I note
the Premier's response, in which he described the minister as
passionate, rather than giving the minister his full confidence.
(1) Did the
minister tell the Premier prior to the signing of the term sheet that the
industry was vehemently opposed to his socialist agenda of nationalisation?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer.
Mr I.C. BLAYNEY : I continue —
(2) Did the
minister tell the Premier that he threatened to take away fishers'
licences and re-issue them by exemption if the industry did not support his
plan; and, if he did not tell the Premier that, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2) Probably
five or six days is a suitable bit of spatial separation since the Gary Adshead
article that told him how lazy he had been for not getting on his feet and
asking me a question last week.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY : I am pleased
that he has finally got up and asked me a question.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mr D.J. KELLY : What we would
like to do—what this whole thing has been about—is to try to
create some greater economic benefit from a publicly owned resource off our
coast.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY : Currently, 95
per cent or thereabouts of the western rock lobster catch goes to overseas
markets, principally China. When the industry came to the government in 2017
and said, ''We think we can significantly grow the commercial catch to
over 8 000 tonnes and we would like the government to help us financially to do
that'', we began to look at how that resource is best shared. It seemed
reasonable to us that, given at the same time —
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, you are on two!
Mr D.J. KELLY : At the same
time, tourism and hospitality operators were saying to us that they would like
access to some of that catch here in Western Australia. They believed we were
missing out on jobs and economic opportunities here in Western Australia by
having virtually all the catch go overseas. We sat down at the end of last year
with the Western Rock Lobster Council, which is, after all, the peak body, to
look at ways in which we could grow the economic benefit to both the individual
fishers and the community at large. We had a very significant period of
negotiation with the council, independently chaired by the son of a former Premier,
which resulted in a package that the board signed off on. It was agreeable to
the government; it was agreeable to the board—and that was the position
we reached at the end of last year. Since then, that package went out for
public comment. Since then, sections of the industry have said that that
package was not acceptable to them.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Having
fun? I want to hear the answer, please.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr D.J. KELLY : A lot of
people in your electorate, member for Moore, were very keen on what we were
doing—very keen indeed.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : We will end
question time right now unless everyone just keeps quiet. You have had a crack
at him, give the minister a chance to give his answer.
Mr D.J. KELLY : We then sat
down with the industry and came up with a revised package that still will
deliver a significant increase to the local lobster supply—315 tonnes.
The existing local lobster program is 15 tonnes, so 315 tonnes, which will predominantly
go to the local market, is a significant improvement. The Australian Hotels
Association and the Tourism Council of WA have said that this is a positive
step forward. We have a commitment for the first time from the industry for an international
lobster festival. Member for Moore, all those fishing communities between Perth
and Geraldton will have an opportunity to participate in it, and they are very
excited about that prospect. The government has sought to get some additional
economic benefit out of this resource. The trouble with members opposite is
that as soon as this issue was raised, they put the shutters up. They took the
view that oppositions often fall into —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
Mr I.C. Blayney : I have a supplementary.
The SPEAKER : No; I said to
everyone that if they kept the noise up, I would end question time—and
I just have. I warned you twice.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I warned you
twice; if you cannot understand that —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
(1)–(2) Probably
five or six days is a suitable bit of spatial separation since the Gary Adshead
article that told him how lazy he had been for not getting on his feet and
asking me a question last week.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY : I am pleased
that he has finally got up and asked me a question.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mr D.J. KELLY : What we would
like to do—what this whole thing has been about—is to try to
create some greater economic benefit from a publicly owned resource off our
coast.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY : Currently, 95
per cent or thereabouts of the western rock lobster catch goes to overseas
markets, principally China. When the industry came to the government in 2017
and said, ''We think we can significantly grow the commercial catch to
over 8 000 tonnes and we would like the government to help us financially to do
that'', we began to look at how that resource is best shared. It seemed
reasonable to us that, given at the same time —
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, you are on two!
Mr D.J. KELLY : At the same
time, tourism and hospitality operators were saying to us that they would like
access to some of that catch here in Western Australia. They believed we were
missing out on jobs and economic opportunities here in Western Australia by
having virtually all the catch go overseas. We sat down at the end of last year
with the Western Rock Lobster Council, which is, after all, the peak body, to
look at ways in which we could grow the economic benefit to both the individual
fishers and the community at large. We had a very significant period of
negotiation with the council, independently chaired by the son of a former Premier,
which resulted in a package that the board signed off on. It was agreeable to
the government; it was agreeable to the board—and that was the position
we reached at the end of last year. Since then, that package went out for
public comment. Since then, sections of the industry have said that that
package was not acceptable to them.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Having
fun? I want to hear the answer, please.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr D.J. KELLY : A lot of
people in your electorate, member for Moore, were very keen on what we were
doing—very keen indeed.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : We will end
question time right now unless everyone just keeps quiet. You have had a crack
at him, give the minister a chance to give his answer.
Mr D.J. KELLY : We then sat
down with the industry and came up with a revised package that still will
deliver a significant increase to the local lobster supply—315 tonnes.
The existing local lobster program is 15 tonnes, so 315 tonnes, which will predominantly
go to the local market, is a significant improvement. The Australian Hotels
Association and the Tourism Council of WA have said that this is a positive
step forward. We have a commitment for the first time from the industry for an international
lobster festival. Member for Moore, all those fishing communities between Perth
and Geraldton will have an opportunity to participate in it, and they are very
excited about that prospect. The government has sought to get some additional
economic benefit out of this resource. The trouble with members opposite is
that as soon as this issue was raised, they put the shutters up. They took the
view that oppositions often fall into —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
Mr I.C. Blayney : I have a supplementary.
The SPEAKER : No; I said to
everyone that if they kept the noise up, I would end question time—and
I just have. I warned you twice.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I warned you
twice; if you cannot understand that —
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
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