❓ Mr Rundle (Nationals WA) questions the Premier's decision to relocate the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to the CBD instead of decentralising it. The Premier defends the decision by highlighting the poor state of the existing building and criticising the Nationals' inaction on the issue when in government.
AnsweredQoN 630Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY
INDUSTRIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT — DECENTRALISATION
630. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to the announcement today
that state plans to relocate the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development from Kensington to the CBD. Why has the Premier's
government ignored the opportunity to decentralise and the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development?
Mr D.T. Redman : It sounds
like he has not been told.
The SPEAKER : A bit like the
ag department.
INDUSTRIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT — DECENTRALISATION
630. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to the announcement today
that state plans to relocate the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development from Kensington to the CBD. Why has the Premier's
government ignored the opportunity to decentralise and the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development?
Mr D.T. Redman : It sounds
like he has not been told.
The SPEAKER : A bit like the
ag department.
AnswerView source ↗
I
note the member is a member of the Nationals WA and there were National Party
agricultural ministers for eight and a half years, one of them who is
sitting next to him, and they did not do it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
M. McGOWAN : We had to backfill
the then Department of Agriculture and Food's budget before last to
ensure that it could properly function, because it was cut so heavily
during the Liberal–National government that preceded us. That is what
happened. Thank god we have Hon Alannah MacTiernan—someone who actually
understands and supports agriculture.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr M. McGOWAN : She is
ensuring that important initiatives are taken, one of which is to deal with the accommodation pressures in Kensington. The
building itself is old, it would be fair to say,� dated and leaking. Apparently , during a recent storm, water was flushing
through the building. There are some significant accommodation pressures and requirements there that no government before now ever dealt with. I can see
the member sitting there with his supplementary question not listening.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Nationals WA!
Mr M. McGOWAN : He and others
always sit there waiting to jump out of their seat not listening to the
answers. He is going to read it out, I know he is; it does not matter what I say.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Nationals WA, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There have been significant
accommodation pressures in the old building in Kensington that have needed to be dealt with for a long period,
and we have dealt with them. There are also the scientific laboratories and
a facility as well that need us to keep the staff in reasonable proximity to
one another. If the National Party cared so much about this issue, why, during
the Barnett government, the Court government, the O'Connor government,
the Court government, the Brand government, the McLarty government and the
Mitchell government did it never do it? Why did it never do it? The National
Party goes back to 1919. I am trying to remember the government before the
Mitchell government. Why did the government before the Mitchell government,
whichever government it was, not do it? If
Nationals WA members care so much, why did they not do it when they were in office?
note the member is a member of the Nationals WA and there were National Party
agricultural ministers for eight and a half years, one of them who is
sitting next to him, and they did not do it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
M. McGOWAN : We had to backfill
the then Department of Agriculture and Food's budget before last to
ensure that it could properly function, because it was cut so heavily
during the Liberal–National government that preceded us. That is what
happened. Thank god we have Hon Alannah MacTiernan—someone who actually
understands and supports agriculture.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr M. McGOWAN : She is
ensuring that important initiatives are taken, one of which is to deal with the accommodation pressures in Kensington. The
building itself is old, it would be fair to say,� dated and leaking. Apparently , during a recent storm, water was flushing
through the building. There are some significant accommodation pressures and requirements there that no government before now ever dealt with. I can see
the member sitting there with his supplementary question not listening.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Nationals WA!
Mr M. McGOWAN : He and others
always sit there waiting to jump out of their seat not listening to the
answers. He is going to read it out, I know he is; it does not matter what I say.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Nationals WA, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There have been significant
accommodation pressures in the old building in Kensington that have needed to be dealt with for a long period,
and we have dealt with them. There are also the scientific laboratories and
a facility as well that need us to keep the staff in reasonable proximity to
one another. If the National Party cared so much about this issue, why, during
the Barnett government, the Court government, the O'Connor government,
the Court government, the Brand government, the McLarty government and the
Mitchell government did it never do it? Why did it never do it? The National
Party goes back to 1919. I am trying to remember the government before the
Mitchell government. Why did the government before the Mitchell government,
whichever government it was, not do it? If
Nationals WA members care so much, why did they not do it when they were in office?
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.