Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Western Australia has a game-changing opportunity with the potential of nonstop direct flights between Perth and London or Europe. We must make sure this opportunity is not lost. Do not underestimate just how popular these flights will be with WA travellers and inbound holiday-makers and business travellers, and how important this will be for our WA economy. Nonstop Europe flights would make Perth a real option for so many more travellers to WA. Perth could also become the gateway to Europe for Australian travellers from across the country looking to slash their travel times.

Perth Airport and Qantas have different ideas about how to make this happen—Terminal 1 or Terminal 4. They need to negotiate this impasse quickly. I welcome the news that the Premier of Western Australia has met with both Perth Airport and Qantas. His leadership as Premier and of the tourism portfolio and his commitment to creating jobs and promoting our state is tireless.

I absolutely see the merits of Qantas adding this international service to their domestic terminal operations. The whole point of a nonstop flight from Europe to Perth is the high-speed international connection and seamless transition to domestic flights. Taking passengers between airports by bus is not an option.

Perth Airport has a responsibility to get this right for their shareholders—particularly the Australian people, who, through the Future Fund, hold a 30 per cent share in the airport. All involved must work towards an outcome on this issue. The Parliament of Australia is watching closely, and if the parties fail I will call for an inquiry into their failure.

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