Legislative Council Thursday, 26 May 2011 THE PRESIDENT (Hon Barry House) took the chair at 10.00 am, and read prayers. TRANSPERTH CONTRACTS — BUS OPERATIONS STAFF Petition Hon Ken Travers presented a petition, by delivery to the Clerk, from 151 persons regarding the lack of concern for the wellbeing of Transperth bus operators. [See paper 3341.] SKILLED LOCAL JOBS BILL 2011 Petition HON JON FORD (Mining and Pastoral) [10.02 am]: I present a petition with 133 signatures, which is couched in the following terms — To the President and Members of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned residents of Western Australia say the WA Parliament should pass laws that ensure a greater share of skilled engineering and fabrication work for our major resources projects is performed in Western Australia. Our major resources projects are increasingly sending their skilled work offshore. Many of Western Australia’s fabrication workshops are almost empty and our engineers have to go overseas if they want to help design our LNG projects. Our natural resources can only be used once and we should use the current resources construction boom to provide training and apprenticeships for our young people, so that they can have a future after the boom. Your petitioners therefore respectfully request the Legislative Council support the Skilled Local Jobs Bill 2011 with the objective of ensuring a greater share of skilled work for our major resources projects is performed in Western Australia. And your petitioners as in duty bound, will ever pray. [See paper 3335.] Hon JON FORD: Mr President, I also present a similar petition containing 395 signatures. [See paper 3336.] CITY OF SWAN LOCAL PLANNING SCHEME 17 Petition HON ALISON XAMON (East Metropolitan) [10.04 am]: I present a petition containing 79 signatures, which is couched in the following terms — To the President and Members of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned residents of Western Australia are concerned that Amendment 40 to the City of Swan Local Planning Scheme 17 will unjustifiably reduce the property rights of landowners and residents. Your petitioners therefore respectfully request the Legislative Council to call upon the Minister for Planning not to approve Amendment 40 to the City of Swan Local Planning Scheme and that he returns it to the City of Swan for further consideration and community consultation. And your petitioners as in duty bound, will ever pray. [See paper 3337.] 4032 [COUNCIL — Thursday, 26 May 2011] CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME Petition HON SALLY TALBOT (South West) [10.05 am]: I present a petition containing 98 signatures, which is couched in the following terms — To the President and Members of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned residents of Western Australia support actions that increase the number of beverage containers recycled in Western Australia and assist in improving the ongoing litter problem we have in our state. Your petitioners therefore respectfully request the Legislative Council to call upon the Barnett Government to immediately introduce a Western Australian Container Deposit Scheme, similar to the system that operates in South Australia. And your petitioners as in duty bound, will ever pray. [See paper 3338.] ENERGY SECURITY INITIATIVES Statement by Minister for Energy HON PETER COLLIER (North Metropolitan — Minister for Energy) [10.06 am]: I am pleased to inform the house of two initiatives that will significantly boost energy security and reliability in Western Australia. The state government has approved a long-term agreement between Verve Energy and the APA Group, which will lead to further development and expansion of the Mondarra gas storage facility, near Dongara. In addition, the Independent Market Operator has been selected to operate a gas bulletin board and develop a gas statement of opportunities for Western Australia. Both projects are key recommendations of the Gas Supply and Emergency Management Committee, which I established following two major gas supply disruptions in 2008. The committee’s recommendations aim to mitigate the impact of gas emergency situations and ensure that Western Australia is in a stronger position to co-ordinate and manage a government and industry response to any future supply disruptions. The committee identified gas storage as one of the cost-effective mitigation measures that could be implemented. Once operational, the Mondarra gas storage facility will provide additional supply in excess of 120 terajoules of gas per day, servicing the demands of electricity and gas customers in the south west interconnected system in the event of a future gas shortage. The new contract arrangements will provide Verve Energy with up to 90 terajoules a day, enabling an additional 800 megawatts of gas-fired generation to operate during peak demand periods for up to 60 days. To provide some context, 90 terajoules a day is more than twice the consumption of the residential gas market. The Mondarra facility will also allow Verve to store additional gas that it is required to pay for but does not use, which Verve can access when it is needed. This project supports the Liberal– National government’s objectives to provide a secure, reliable, competitive and cleaner energy supply to meet the needs of the community and support WA’s growing economy. The appointment of the IMO represents a key milestone towards implementing the gas bulletin board and gas statement of opportunities and reflects the GSEMC’s recommendation for an independent WA body to administer the two initiatives. The GBB and GSOO will greatly improve information transparency on gas supply and demand to the wider public, and provide for a more competitive and dynamic gas market in the state. The GBB will provide web-based up-to-date gas system and market information across the gas supply and demand chain in WA, and will use the existing infrastructure of the successful eastern states’ bulletin board, which is administered by the Australian Energy Market Operator. The GBB will provide greater visibility on the near- term availability of gas as a commodity and its transport, whereas the GSOO will provide regular long-term gas supply and demand forecasts to help inform future investment decisions in WA. Today’s announcement between Verve Energy and the APA Group will greatly enhance energy security in Western Australia, while the GBB and GSOO will help establish a more dynamic and transparent gas market for the state. Consideration of the statement made an order of the day for the next sitting, on motion by Hon Ed Dermer. STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Twelfth Report – “Report on a Proposed Inquiry into Regional Prisons” — Tabling Hon Max Trenorden presented the twelfth report of the Standing Committee on Public Administration, “Report on a Proposed Inquiry into Regional Prisons”, and on his motion it was resolved — That the report do lie upon the table and be printed. [See paper 3339.] [COUNCIL — Thursday, 26 May 2011] 4033 DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES — RESIGNATION Statement by President THE PRESIDENT (Hon Barry House): Members, I have a letter for tabling. It is a letter from Hon Max Trenorden resigning as Deputy Chairman of Committees, and I table that letter. [See paper 3340.] SHIRE OF BUSSELTON — USE OF A PUBLIC JETTY AMENDMENT LOCAL LAW 2011 — DISALLOWANCE Notice of Motion Notice of motion given by Hon Sally Talbot. STATE BUDGET 2011–12 — IMPACT ON FAMILIES Motion HON LJILJANNA RAVLICH (East Metropolitan) [10.11 am] — without notice: I move — That this house condemns the Barnett–Grylls government for its dishonest budget, which is harsh on families and drunk on debt. I welcome the opportunity to make some comments on the impact of the 2011–12 budget, in particular its impact on families. The first thing I want to put on the public record is that this is indeed a bad budget and is built on very poor assumptions. It is inherently dishonest in terms of the way in which it is being sold throughout the state. There is no doubt in my mind that this budget will have a substantial adverse impact on the average Western Australian family. It is also likely to have an adverse impact on businesses, be they small, medium or large businesses, in particular as a result of the utility hikes that this budget brings forward. When we look at this budget, we can see that there is no real growth across health, education, and law and order. Any additional allocation of money seems to be made simply because of the demand created from an increase in population and from consumer price index pressures in those areas. Hon Robyn McSweeney interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH: I do not know whether this budget is considered to be a great budget by government members. However, I do know that Hon Wendy Duncan, in giving her budget speech in Kalgoorlie– Boulder on the day the budget was brought down, vowed to keep the state government honest over the increase in utility prices. That is what she sees as her role. When I read that, I found that incredible. Hon Robyn McSweeney interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH: Hon Wendy Duncan is a parliamentary secretary; her leader sits in the cabinet and she is playing a duplicitous role and pretending that she is separate from the government. I find that incredible. I find it lacks integrity. I just say that one would only go to Kalgoorlie–Boulder and present oneself in that way if one were ashamed of the impact of this budget. Clearly Hon Wendy Duncan is, but I will leave that issue for later. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order, members! We can do without the four or five little audible conversations happening.