Doorstop interview - Perth, Western Australia

RITA SAFFIOTI, DEPUTY PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Today we're unveiling our brand new Bayswater EV bus depot. Now this is a new depot to support the rollout of electric buses on the network. We've successfully rolled out electric buses. We now have more than 200 that have been made in WA that are on the network. They've been very well supported by everyone. The technicians, the bus drivers, the commuters, the passengers, the public - who are very much supporting this rollout.

This is part of a joint program with the Federal Government, the $250 million program, and of course we have Patrick Gorman here representing the Federal Government. And of course Dan Bull, the local Member. It's the fourth large site to be rolled out. It's on top of Elizabeth Quay, Malaga, Karrinyup, and of course, initially we also had the Joondalup Cat depot as well. So fifth in total - fourth large depot to be rolled out. Upcoming, we have rollouts further through Joondalup, Welshpool, and Claisebrook.

This depot alone will support 132 electric buses in its first stage, with 62 dual charges and other two single charges. As I've said, this is a successful program, and we continue to roll out our buses - over 200 on the network. On Monday, just gone around the Karrinyup service, we've also rolled out our first electric bendy bus. We made an announcement when we completed the delivery of that bendy bus, the articulated bus, that has successfully rolled out during the week. Again, very much well supported.

So, as I said, this is part of our program to continue the rollout of electric buses across the network. Over 200 that have been rolled out. We're progressively upgrading the depots to support the charging of these buses. As we've seen, it's successfully rolled out through Elizabeth Quay, up in Malaga, out at Karrinyup, and of course initially at Joondalup. And we also are working through Claisebrook, at Welshpool, and further work at Joondalup. And of course this Bayswater depot, which is the biggest on the network, now completed. Ready to support new buses to be rolled out across the network. Now further to Patrick.

PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER : Thank you very much, Deputy Premier. It is great to be here with yourself, and with Dan Bull, the local Member. Electric buses have been a huge success story for Perth. And the Commonwealth Government is so proud to be a partner in helping roll out the charging infrastructure.

Some 130 buses to be charged here in Bayswater, and then are running on the routes that service people across Perth. Including the routes like the 960 and the 950 that service my electorate - 950 very important for Dan's electorate as well. And what we know is that each one of these electric buses is reducing some 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every single year. So it's making a huge change to our environment.

The feedback from passengers is they really enjoy the extra space in these buses. They really enjoy that they are quieter. They have got great air conditioning. And really proudly they're made here in Western Australia. And that's why the Commonwealth is so proud to be a partner in this work, making sure that we do electrify our bus network, but also make sure that we're investing in Western Australian jobs.

And I just want to say thanks to everyone who's worked on this project. Making sure that we do have electric bus charging infrastructure that support people to get to work, school, study every single day of the week. Thank you very much.

[Questions to the State Minister omitted]

JOURNALIST: Just on the defence estate sell-off, the Deputy Prime Minister was defending it just three days ago. Do we think this has been hung out to dry a little bit? 

GORMAN: We have also said really clearly, there was a consultation process when it comes to looking at the defence estate. Making sure that it's fit-for-purpose for its job of ensuring we can provide all of the training and facilities we need to defend Australia.

If you look here in Western Australia, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence is one of the most regular visitors to Western Australia. We have got massive multi-billion-dollar investments in new defence estates here in the West. But we also want to make sure that if there's land that can have a more productive purpose, then we will look to grab those opportunities. And here in our part of the world, we do see that there is some land that could be used for more productive purposes.

So we're continuing to do that work. And I will also just note that the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister are making announcements about some of the sites and making sure they'll stay in community hands, and I welcome that.

JOURNALIST: Was there a miscommunication somewhere, given that he was defending it three days ago?

GORMAN: What we have said very clearly - and you can go back and look at us at Question Time, when the Deputy Prime Minister and others have spoken about this - is that we were also doing a consultation and some work that included the Department of Finance to make sure that we got this right and released the land that could be used for more productive purposes. And consistently, we have said that heritage buildings would be protected. And what's being announced today is entirely consistent with that.

JOURNALIST: You got plans to sell off Irwin Barracks and Leeuwin Barracks? And where are the plans for those military bases that will replace them, if any?

GORMAN: So that's all part of that work that I just referred to, Geof. And what we want to -

JOURNALIST: So, have you decided where those new bases would be?

GORMAN: I think it'd be unreasonable for me - I'm not in the Defence portfolio, and it'd be unreasonable for me to make announcements in the Defence portfolio. But let me just say this. We are doing - as I just referred to in some of the other work. We're doing significant work in the south of the Perth metropolitan area to make sure that we can have all of the housing and support services for AUKUS, including the work that's happening at Henderson.

We continue to do that work, but we do know that some of the sites here in Western Australia have been underutilised for a period of time. Some of them are not fit-for-purpose for the modern defence force that we need for the challenges that we see in the decades ahead.

So we're going to make sure that we have the assets that we do need, and if there are assets, and particularly land, that can be used for more productive purposes, of course we're going to look at that. Any responsible government would do that.

JOURNALIST: This is the latest in a number of Federal Government backflips on policy, including Veterans' Allied Health plan, ATO credit card ban, disaster funding. Are you concerned the Government is allowing itself to get out of touch with the public?

GORMAN: What we do every day is we listen. And where there are better ways forward - I'll never pretend that I have every answer to every question. If there's a better way forward, I'll run at it and I'll grab it. And you know what you're seeing today is what you'd expect from a responsible government. We have a better way to make sure we protect those heritage assets, keeping them in public ownership. Then we will take that.

And when it comes to listening to small business, of course we will listen to small business, particularly where they've got concerns about changes that are happening in the economy. And we'll respond to that. That is what responsible governments do. The sort of government that I want to be a part of.

JOURNALIST: Isn't that another sign of improper planning then, before this announcements made?

GORMAN: Look again, I'll just say we're a government that consults. We put out plans. Where we acknowledge that there's a better way forward, we'll take that. And I just think, again, I want to pay tribute to the work that Matt Keogh has done when it comes to including veterans' affairs, where we have - also you can refer to some things where there've been relatively minor changes and keeping things as they were when it came to allied health.

But the big achievement in that portfolio was clearing the backlog of tens of thousands of veterans who weren't even having their claims assessed. And that was completely unacceptable. And Matt Keogh has done incredible work in clearing that backlog. And every time I talk about this matter, I always go out of my way to point that out because that is good for thousands of veterans here in Western Australia.

JOURNALIST: Would you like to see WA exempt from the national gas reservation scheme, or some adjustment made for us?

GORMAN: Like was said before, I voted for a national domestic gas reservation scheme because domestic gas reservation is a good thing for industry, and we know that because it's been a success here in Western Australia. Now, the thing that myself, Roger Cook, Rita Saffioti - and I want to acknowledge Tania Lawrence, my federal colleague, who's also here - what we all agree on is that domestic gas reservation is a good thing. Because it backs industry and it makes sure that the gas that is owned by the people of Australia - that they get a fair share of that for job creation, energy generation.

And it is about making sure that we have some greater sovereign capability here, and more secure operating environments for industry. So, everyone agrees that domestic gas reservation is a good thing. We are trying to take the excellent success of, you know, something that did have to be pushed very hard for here in the West some 20 years ago. We try to take that success national. We have some restrictions in terms of how we can legislate when it comes to not giving particular preference to a particular state. And Madeleine King has outlined that very clearly.

We have really good engagement with the State Government on this question. I have had conversations with a range of people. I met with Premier Cook when he was in Canberra, as he did with a range of people, including with the Prime Minister. We will continue to engage in that process. I will note that we're expecting a Senate inquiry to hand down a report next week. I look forward to seeing what that inquiry says. I look forward to seeing exactly what it is that other Senators from a range of other parties are proposing. But I would like to see a domestic gas reservation policy for the nation. Because that is good for a whole range of businesses who do rely on stable, fairly priced gas to run their businesses.

JOURNALIST: But ahead of that Senate inquiry, which is still down the track, obviously, at the moment, you are in disagreement with the Minister standing behind you and the Premier, because they're saying that what you're proposing at the moment is disadvantaging WA for an eastern states fix.

GORMAN: They are respectful conversations. But the Deputy Premier - 

JOURNALIST: I'm sure they're respectful, but you're at loggerheads aren't you? You don't agree?

GORMAN: They are respectful conversations. We do have the need to get our Bill through the Senate. That will require some negotiation. Let us just be honest about it.

JOURNALIST: Yeah. So, you're disadvantaging WA to solve an east coast problem?

GORMAN: The impact analysis that was released by Madeleine King, which you can go and have a look at, that is attached to the explanatory memorandum, outlines the net benefits of this policy for the nation. That is the assessment on which I, as a Federal Member of Parliament, have to assess such things. And it's the reason that I did very happily, very comfortably, vote for a domestic gas reservation -

JOURNALIST: Nation before State. 

GORMAN: A domestic gas reservation policy that will also make sure that we have, lock in the great outcomes that have happened here in the West. We are continuing to discuss with the state government some of their concerns, and we'll do that in a respectful manner. Like I said in the last sitting week, we had those discussions. We are waiting for the Senate processes to play out. That is a respectful thing to do. But everyone involved in this discussion - the principle is really clear. Everyone involved in this discussion agrees that domestic gas reservation is a good thing for Western Australia, and it would be a good thing for the nation. And that's what I wanted to achieve.

JOURNALIST: Well, I don't know why WA is complaining.

GORMAN: When it comes to technical detail, there's always discussions. I am pretty relaxed about that.

ENDS