Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Further to my earlier remarks on the gas explosion in Western Australia and as an example of the lack of transparency of the rationed gas allocation, a laundry business was allocated gas over a weekend when it did not need it; so, not wanting to waste the supply, they called in their workers and paid them double time for working on the weekend. A better plan would have been to allocate that gas ration to an industry that could have utilised it over a regular weekend period. There is no capacity for industry or for workers and their families to plan effectively.

It may be months before the repair work required on Apache’s East Spar Joint Venture facilities, as well as the Harriet Joint Venture facilities, is completed and before gas supply is back up to full production. Loss of production in the powerhouse of industry in the south-west of Western Australia will result in a loss of revenue for both governments and will impact adversely on the national economy. This gas crisis highlights just how quickly job security can be threatened, even in WA’s booming economy. State owned power stations should have been converted to diesel to free up more of the gas supply to small and medium industries that cannot convert to diesel.

I call on the WA government to start talking to industry representatives to discuss relief packages such as a moratorium on payroll tax, for example, during the period of this crisis. What will the state government’s relief package be to workers who have been stood down without pay? Industry cannot afford to lose these skilled workers and key employees. (Time expired)