FISHERIES —
DISTRICT OFFICE CLOSURES
644. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the proposed closure of
Fisheries shopfronts in key fishing locations in Denham, Carnarvon, Exmouth and
Karratha, which are utilised by both recreational and commercial operators to
seek important information and purchase licences.
(1) When does the minister expect
these closures to take effect?
(2) Other than
the internet, which not everyone is able to access, how does the minister
intend to ensure that the public is able to interact with the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development's Fisheries teams, access
information to ensure they are complying with the requirements and pay for
necessary licences, especially if they do not possess a credit card?
(3) What impact will these closures have on full-time
employees and the headcount within Fisheries' service-delivery
areas of the department?
Mr D.J.
KELLY replied:
(1)–(3) That
is an interesting question from the National Party—to ask about head
counts and service delivery out of the Department of Primary Industries and
Regional Development. As members of the house will know, under the previous
government, certainly the agriculture side of DPIRD was absolutely gutted. For
the National Party to preside over the level of cuts that that department saw,
is quite extraordinary. You really have no shame.
Ms M.J. Davies
interjected.
The SPEAKER: Leader of the
National Party!
Mr D.J. KELLY: Yesterday, I outlined
the devastating impact that the Water Corporation had on families who had their
water cut off, especially in the agricultural region. The member for Central
Wheatbelt —
Point of Order
Mr V.A. CATANIA: Mr Speaker,
I have asked a specific question about Fisheries, not about the Department of
Water and the Water Corporation. Can the minister please answer that question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members! I want
to hear this is silence. Start again.
Mr V.A. CATANIA: Mr Speaker,
the minister is not answering the question. I asked specifically about
Fisheries and the shopfronts that Fisheries has in those towns, not about the
Department of Water or the Water Corporation or anything else.
The SPEAKER: Okay. It is a point
of order. Minister, you will get back to the question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.J. KELLY: For the
member's benefit, I was just taking the interjection from the member
for Central Wheatbelt.
Mr V.A. Catania: Answer the
question. That's the benefit that we want.
Mr D.J. KELLY: Yesterday,
when I pointed out those figures about job losses and the impact on families in
the agricultural region, the member for Central Wheatbelt said nothing during
that time, but I notice that now she is interjecting.
To the point that the member raised, when we came to
government, we amalgamated the old Department of Agriculture with Fisheries to
create the new DPIRD. In the last budget, I think the figure was $130 million
worth of additional funding to enable that new amalgamated department to get
back on its feet after the disastrous state that the former government left it
in. So for the member to come in here and ask a question like this really shows
that he did not know what was happening in that department.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for North West Central, you will
if you kept quiet.
Mr D.J. KELLY: That just shows that either he did not
know what was going on under the previous government, or, and probably more
likely, he did not care.
In respect of the over-the-counter services that the member
referred to, I think it is in five locations, as part of getting that
department back on its feet, we have rationalised some of the shopfronts. In
the locations that the member has talked about, where those over-the-counter
services will not be provided from the old fisheries department site, those
services will be provided through either a DPIRD office or a community resource
centre. I know the member says he is very supportive of the role that community
resource centres provide. In each of those locations, an over-the-counter
service will still be provided. We have rationalised the resources, to try to
fix some of the budget mess that the member
and his mates left for us to inherit. People will still be able to access those
services, but through a rationalisation. They will do it through either a DPIRD
site or a community resource centre.
In respect to job losses, there will be no compulsory
redundancies as a result. No-one will lose their job. I can say to the member that we have had some very constructive
discussions with the Community and Public Sector Union–Civil
Service Association of WA, which is the main union representing DPIRD staff. It
has raised a number of issues—not this one in particular, but a number
of other issues—and we have addressed virtually all of them.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party!
Mr D.J. KELLY: What was that, Leader of the National
Party?
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr D.J. KELLY: When the National Party cut 400 jobs
out of the Water Corporation, including 100 out of regional WA —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party! Minister,
talk through the Chair; and, Leader of the National Party, no interjections.
Mr D.J. KELLY: When the National Party cut 400 jobs
out of the Water Corporation, including 100 out of regional Western Australia,
when the Leader of the National Party was the minister responsible, the
National Party had a very poor relationship with the CPSU–CSA, because
every time people came to work —
The SPEAKER: Minister, can you get back to the answer
to the question.
Mr D.J. KELLY: Sorry. I thought I was being
interjected upon.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER: Leader of the National Party, I call you
to order for the first time. You can hear me, can you not?
Mr D.J. KELLY: We have a very good relationship with
the CPSU–CSA. The issues that it raised with us have largely been
resolved, and we have given it a commitment that throughout the whole
department, there will be no compulsory redundancies. So we are very pleased
with what we have done. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions when we
are in government, especially when we start with a department that has been
absolutely gutted by the previous government, and when the overall budgetary
position that we have been left with is terrible.
Before the member for North West Central comes into this
place and asks questions like that, he really should take ownership of what he
has done in particular to the public sector.