❓ Question regarding funding for urgent works in the wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas, specifically concerning Western Power's compliance with safety and reliability standards. The Minister's response deflects blame to the previous government and highlights increased spending under the current administration.
AnsweredQoN 1197Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Given that the minister told members last Thursday that $950 million would be spent on transmission and distribution improvements to the south west power grid during the next four years and that Western Power had already planned or started urgent improvements to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas - (1) Will the minister confirm that the $4.6 million in funding for urgent works in the wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas is to be spent over two years and not one? (2) Will the minister guarantee the additional $48.4 million funding that is required for Western Power to meet legally prescribed standards for safety and reliability for consumers in these areas, as required by the Director of Energy Safety? (3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(1) Will the minister confirm that the $4.6 million in funding for urgent works in the wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas is to be spent over two years and not one? (2) Will the minister guarantee the additional $48.4 million funding that is required for Western Power to meet legally prescribed standards for safety and reliability for consumers in these areas, as required by the Director of Energy Safety? (3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(2) Will the minister guarantee the additional $48.4 million funding that is required for Western Power to meet legally prescribed standards for safety and reliability for consumers in these areas, as required by the Director of Energy Safety? (3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network?
The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network?
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(1) Will the minister confirm that the $4.6 million in funding for urgent works in the wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas is to be spent over two years and not one? (2) Will the minister guarantee the additional $48.4 million funding that is required for Western Power to meet legally prescribed standards for safety and reliability for consumers in these areas, as required by the Director of Energy Safety? (3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(2) Will the minister guarantee the additional $48.4 million funding that is required for Western Power to meet legally prescribed standards for safety and reliability for consumers in these areas, as required by the Director of Energy Safety? (3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(3) Does the minister concur with the Director of Energy Safety, who noted in his response to consumer complaints that Western Power had no money and no plans for remedial works to the central wheatbelt and Bremer Bay areas prior to his intervention? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for Merredin for some notice of this question. Do not members just love the National Party? Its members are poodles in government and Dobermans in opposition - or at least pet Dobermans. They do not even get their quotes entirely accurate. Since the member has begun to quote from the report of the Director of Energy Safety, I should quote this additional part, just to add to the information available to the House. The report reads - To summarise, the problems that are evident here have not developed recently but over quite some time, becoming more pronounced during the last 10 years, approximately . . . Who was in government in the past 10 years? The poodles of the National Party were in government during that time, and they did not deliver to their bush constituency. During the term of the previous Government, expenditure on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt was $14.9 million in 1998-99, $9.3 million in 1999-2000 and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Under this Government, the amount has increased to $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 and $29.3 million this year. We have almost trebled the amount of money being spent on maintenance of the network in the wheatbelt compared with what the poodles of the National Party were able to spend when they were in government? Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network? Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Work being undertaken by Western Power in regional areas includes the installation of a voltage regulator and transformers worth about $220 000 in the Toodyay area, the installation of an additional voltage regulator in the Goomalling district at a cost of $125 000 and a new voltage regulator for Bremer Bay at a cost of about $300 000. These projects should be completed this financial year. Projects have already begun to build a new feeder and voltage regulator, worth about $1.8 million, between Cadoux and Koorda and a new high-voltage feeder in the York area at a cost of $1.7 million. Western Power plans to have these projects completed by 2005-06. Over the next four years, Western Power will spend $950 million on upgrades and maintenance of the south west interconnected grid. That is not what is being spent on generation; that is what will be spent on the electricity network over the next four years - nearly $1 billion. I welcome the report of the Director of Energy Safety, because he was given the power by this Government to conduct this sort of inquiry and he has drawn the attention of the Government to some significant problems. There is a significant problem in the wheatbelt. It has been building up for 40 years; it became worse in the past 10 years and it needs to be dealt with now, in a planned and systematic way. Western Power will comply with its legal obligations but it will also plan to spend that $950 million in a very systematic way. The recommendations of the Director of Energy Safety will be taken into account as Western Power plans for that expenditure, and as it prepares its plan - as discussed with me - for a 10-year program of improvements to the electricity network. The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network?
The privatiser on the other side - the man who sold AlintaGas for $971 million - did not spend one cent of that money on the electricity network. Where was the National Party during the time of the previous Government? Did it send one letter to the then Minister for Energy? Did it raise one voice in Cabinet? Did it make one representation for the money from the sale of AlintaGas to be spent on the electricity network?
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party make one single representation? Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Yes, we did. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did it really? Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: You quote it back to us; you cannot ask us. You quote it back to us. Hendy Cowan was famous for it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: Did the National Party write one letter to the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy asking him to spend some of this money on the electricity network? If it had, it would be vociferous in its interjections. The National Party cannot answer that question. It did not stand for the bush when it was in government. It let the Leader of the Opposition when he was the Minister for Energy ride roughshod over the interests of its constituents.
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