Question Without Notice No. 66 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 March 2018 by Hon Robin Scott
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
MINES AND PETROLEUM — FRASER INSTITUTE — ANNUAL SURVEY OF MINING COMPANIES
66. Hon ROBIN SCOTT to the minister representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
(1) Is the minister aware of the annual survey of mining companies conducted by the Canada-based Fraser Institute?
(2) Is the minister aware that in its 2017 policy perception index the Fraser Institute, on a list of 91 jurisdictions, rated Western Australia seventeenth, below Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Portugal, five Canadian provinces and six states of the USA?
(3) Is the minister aware that in its 2017 best practices mineral potential index the Fraser Institute, on a list of 91 jurisdictions, rated Western Australia fourth?
(4) Is the minister aware that in its investment attractiveness index the Fraser Institute, on a list of 91 jurisdictions, rated Western Australia fifth, down from third in 2016?
(5) Will the minister resolve to elevate policies towards mining so that Western Australia occupies its proper place as number one on the policy perception index?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(5) The Minister for Mines and Petroleum is aware that the Fraser Institute annual survey provides rankings of multiple international jurisdictions through a relatively small sample of internal industry stakeholders. It is noted that almost all Australian jurisdictions fell in the 2017 Fraser Institute rankings, demonstrating that the instability currently experienced in the commonwealth government has led to Australian jurisdictions declining in the 2017 rankings. It should be noted that Western Australia ranked fifth overall, despite the instability in the commonwealth government, which is a testament to the expertise and dedication within the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, and government more broadly.