DOMESTIC GAS SUPPLY — RESERVE
663. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I
have a supplementary question. The full 15 per cent of the reserve gas is not
being delivered, so what public policy mechanism will the Premier use to
address the forecast gas shortage in 2024–27?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
I
am not sure what the member is referring to, but obviously our situation is
significantly better than that in the other states and we do have the 15
per cent gas reservation policy. The member might know—or maybe he does
not—that the Liberal Party opposed it.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN: The Liberal
Party opposed the policy. It is a bit late now to complain about coal when the Liberal Party wanted to close it down within two
years. I do not understand how the member can come in here and say things that are totally contrary to the policies
his party has taken. It is so hypocritical. It is breathtakingly hypocritical.
Our policy is the 15 per cent reservation. I just told the
member that when I was Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade, that is what I secured on the Scarborough project from
Woodside, and on some of the other projects over the last decade. When
the Liberal Party was in power, its argument was that this will destroy
investment. Since 2006, when then Premier Alan Carpenter brought in that
policy, there has been over $100 billion of investment in gas projects. The
Liberal Party was out there arguing there would be no further investment. There
has been $100 billion of investment in gas projects in Western Australia, when
the Liberal Party said there would be no investment.
What the Leader of the Liberal Party
ought to do—whilst he is still here—is hang his head in shame.