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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 274 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 11 May 2022 by Mr P.J. Rundle

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

LIVE EXPORT

274. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:

I have a supplementary question. I take it from the Premier's response that he backs live export. Could this $2 million study funding not be better spent repairing the dilapidated facilities at Fremantle port?

Mr M. McGOWAN replied:

I do not know what the member is referring to, but I went down to Fremantle port this morning with the Minister for Planning and the member for Fremantle and announced a $20.5 million package—again, something that probably escaped the member—to revitalise Fremantle port and ensure that we can deal with the issues of live sheep export, the car importation industry and improving the status, state and ambience of the area so that Gage Roads and other industries can set up there and create hundreds if not thousands of jobs in what should be a premier employment precinct. I might also add, since the member raised the Fremantle port, that we are investing $3.5 million in refurbishing HMAS Ovens, the submarine that sits there as not only a tourist attraction, but also a demonstration of Australia's naval heritage.

Several members interjected.

Mr M. McGOWAN: That is right; $3.5 million is a lot cheaper than the $5.5 billion they have given to the French in return for an insult!

We are investing $3.5 million to refurbish HMAS Ovens, one of our Oberon-class submarines. It was built in Greenock, Scotland, by the way, in the 1970s, based upon a World War II German U-boat design. That is just a little bit of history for members.

The member talks about $2 million, when we announced $20.5 million this morning and he is complaining. I do not really get it. Yesterday, the Minister for Planning; Transport was able to announce important improvements in the grain freight rail network that members opposite closed when they were in office. The National Party closed down rail freight for grain movements when it was in office. Labor in office is reopening them, yet members opposite come in here and complain. If only their constituents could actually see them in action! I think it would be quite an eye-opener to them. We might actually find in some of those towns out there—Mukinbudin, Koorda, Bruce Rock and so forth—a massive swing to Labor if they saw members opposite in action. I urge the press and Hansard and the like to start promoting question time more fully so that people can really appreciate it.

A government member: Outdoor cinemas!

Mr M. McGOWAN: That is right; perhaps put it into the cinemas, run it live every night on Channel Seven and the ABC, repeats of what happened in question time today! It would be enlightening for the people of the state and I am sure it would rate well.

But the answer to the member's question, essentially, is I have answered it. We are investing in Fremantle port and we are investing in regional transport, more so than ever under the last National government.