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Village Idiot
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,430
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Some topics that may be of interest to people - extended shopping hours, planning, Cottesloe...
http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au...&admin=Barnett
Quote:
Wed 28 October, 2009
Transcript - 6PR Mornings with Simon Beaumont
Portfolio: Premier
SIMON BEAUMONT
The Premier, Colin Barnett, joins us in the studio. [greetings not transcribed]
I just wanted to start by, on a sombre note, it’s a terrible situation we find ourselves in on Rottnest Island, with a death of a three year old boy yesterday Premier.
COLIN BARNETT
Yeah, very sad Simon, and can I just pass on my sympathy to the family, I mean it’s a tragic accident, and… yeah, very young child, three years old. I’d also like to thank the emergency workers and… I understand there’s a doctor and some nurses that were holidaying on the island that helped out. So, everything was done, but very, very sad situation for a little kid to lose his life.
SIMON BEAUMONT
It is isn’t it, for many years, they call it the people’s playground, I suppose it’s more expensive to go to Rottnest these days. It was struggling financially a few years ago. Is it… have you been recently, is it in need of a revamp Rottnest in some of those… some of that accommodation do you think?
COLIN BARNETT
Well there’s been a progressive improvement of facilities at Rottnest. Some of the cottages are quite old, there’s no doubt about that, however, I think we’ve got to very careful not to jump to any conclusion here. The police and coronial investigation will obviously take its role. My understanding is that these properties were inspected and maintenance was done about three years ago. And there’s some reinspection taking place, but, I think we just need to wait and see what comes out of those investigations.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Fair enough. We are getting extended trading in some of the suburbs close to the city over summer. You’ve… you and Mr Buswell have out manoeuvred Brendon Grylls and the Labor Party, and we’re getting extended trading whether we want it or not?
COLIN BARNETT
Well Simon, you know, my… or the Government if you like, the Government’s preferred position across the metropolitan area is uniform 9pm or compromise 8pm. That is by the far the best option. And I’m very, very disappointed that the Labor Party did not accept the compromise I offered them - we prefer 9, we were willing to go to 8. Had that been accepted we would have uniformity across Perth, it would be fair to every retailer, and every consumer in Western Australia or in Perth would have the option of extended weeknight shopping. Labor just refused to engage on that. And, I mean, I just… you know, and I’d still say to them today, for goodness sake, think of your constituents, be sensible. That offer’s still there, however, as I also said a few weeks ago, because Labor rejected that, we will try and provide some increased shopping opportunities in limited areas. And what we’re looking at is, a tourist precinct for Joondalup, that’s something that we’d committed to earlier in the year. And we’re also looking at the hours of operation within the tourism precincts.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Oh, look I know, you can do this, and it’s… and I think I said to Troy Buswell it’s farcical you have to use a tourism framework to bring… the bang this through. Your mate Brendon’s not going to be happy with this, he won’t even get to bring in a disallowance motion, it’ll happen before Parliament sits next year. He’s not going to be too happy is he?
COLIN BARNETT
Well, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case, because the mechanism that we’re looking at, is exactly the same as has been done for around 40 country areas. It’s exactly the same. There’s nothing, there’s no stealth, there’s no secrecy about this, that’s the mechanism. And it’s limited, we’re only talking about basically the tourism precinct of Perth, Fremantle and Joondalup if that’s created. And, you know, while… so it’s a bit ironic the Labor Member for Joondalup who opposed 9 o’clock and 8 o’clock is apparently supporting Joondalup having tourism precinct status. I mean this is just absurd inconsistency.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Well it is inconsistent in that these areas, I can’t remember the last time I went to a tourism venue in North Perth or Vic Park. I’ve probably been to some in South Perth and Mt Lawley and West Perth I suppose. How do you push this into the broader metropolitan area? If that’s your goal, why not declare all suburbs as tourism precincts?
COLIN BARNETT
Right… I think that would make a mockery of it.
SIMON BEAUMONT
But it’s a mockery already to be fair… it’s a farce isn’t it?
COLIN BARNETT
… oh, it is a farce… that people can’t have reasonable hours of doing shopping in Perth. We are a laughing stock in Australia, and a laughing stock internationally. And I find that embarrassing. But look, we’re just trying to do some modern… some modest changes in those areas. And we are looking at expanding the CBD tourism precinct, which is really only a small part of the central business district area. Now, you know, whether the neighbouring councils want to be part of that or not, we’ll see. And I don’t think those changes are right upon us, but certainly the Joondalup one is.
SIMON BEAUMONT
It probably never should have gone to a referendum, it should have just been policy and you brought it in, if we look back, with the benefit of hindsight?
COLIN BARNETT
Oh, I never supported the referendum. I thought it was a complete waste of public money. A total waste, $7million or $8million for no purpose. You could have built a primary school for that.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Yeah, okay. Let’s take a call on retail trading. There’s some criticism that it’s retail trading by stealth. But it is, I just think it’s funny that we have to use a tourism framework to bring it in, but there you go. [Caller] from Wanneroo. [greetings not transcribed]
[CALLER]
You know, I’ve been a Liberal voter all my life, and I’ve actually handed out pamphlets -everything else. But I cannot believe Colin’s attitude towards this dogmatic, standover tactic attitude that we want this. My brother works for one of the big two in Mandurah, but they don’t give him penalties for working Sunday, they just turned around and said to him, you’re working Sunday, we’ll give you Tuesday off. He said, oh look, my kids, my grandkids play footy on Sunday - yeah, well you’re working this Sunday. That’s the way it is. And they don’t give you any if, but or maybe and there’s no penalties involved, we’re just swapping your days over.
People have tried to get this chucked away so many times, and all of a sudden Colin’s decided that this is good for the people, it’s good for everybody. Well it’s not Colin, it’s not. It’s not good for a lot of people, just the ones that you happen to mingle with I think.
COLIN BARNETT
No... that’s... well [Caller]... yeah... thanks for your comment, and I understand there are differing points of view, but... to the extent that you can rely on surveys done over recent months it’s about sixty-five, seventy per cent support in Perth. And that is primarily for what I wanted to achieve, and that’s weeknight shopping.
I don’t happen to believe there is a widespread demand for general Sunday shopping, but... however that’s what tourism precincts allow and... that has been put in place in many country areas.
If we had a shift to eight or nine o’clock weeknight I think what you’d find is that most of those jobs would be part-time jobs, students and the like, and you wouldn’t get the sort of situation where people feel under pressure. By having... what is basically discriminatory small areas of extended trading, including Sunday, you do get all those sorts of anomalies and the sort of situation [Caller] talks about.
If we had an even, across the board, weeknight shopping I think you’d find a far more sensible... situation for... for everyone, including employees in the industry.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Small... small retailers ring me all the time Colin and they say, ‘I’m going to have to work, my staff are going to have to work, there isn’t anymore... a bigger labour pool we can draw on, there’s only so many people that... to go around, we’re going to have to do the work’. That is a consistent call I get from people.
I mean... how do... you’re saying what, people are going... shops are going to employ students and... and... find another magical pool of workers somewhere?
COLIN BARNETT
Well not everyone, but some will and probably the larger ones will... but look... you know, those arguments have been around for twenty years and, you know, retail is about serving the customer... and the customer clearly now wants the option of shopping at night.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Alright, [caller] phoned in, Hi. [greetings not transcribed]
[CALLER]
I’m probably another one of these small retailers that you guys don’t like to hear from...
COLIN BARNETT
...No, happy to hear from you...
[CALLER]
...I guess the concern I have is that... as a small retailer, I don’t see there being anymore people buying my services... by extension services... by extending the trading hours. So I’m still going to have the same number of people looking for my goods and services. However it is going to add to my cost base, whether that be the students coming in and doing those extra hours or my existing staff doing overtime hours. So it’s... it’s going to place an incredible cost pressure on me to do that, without necessarily the ability to grow my sales.
So that’s probably the first concern, and the second concern I have is as a father of two children... is that, I don’t think it’s good for the family unit to have extended trading hours where families have less opportunities to spend time together and I... I’m glad to hear you don’t like the Sunday trading, because I have real concerns about that, that that tends to break down the family unit.
COLIN BARNETT
Yeah, [Caller] I understand that, and people in the family run small businesses work extremely long hours and it’s a hard gig... I do understand that very well. I guess on the... you know, the choice factor, there’ll be tens of thousands of people out there who work shift work, fly-in, fly-out workers... others... nurses who have shifts who will say, well if we can do some shopping during the weeknight we actually keep our weekend free for the family.
So, you know, there are winners and losers out of it, but... look I just think... I understand all those arguments, I’m sympathetic to them, but really... times moved on and Perth needs to start to move on. We need to be a contemporary modern city.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Thank you [Caller]. The Premier very consistent on this... and has been for a while.
[Caller], g’day. [greetings not transcribed]
[CALLER]
Talking about... extended trading hours. I was wondering whether you were thinking of maybe extending the government department hours so at least we can go in on the weekend and pay our bills. Cause not everybody’s got the internet, not everybody’s got a computer that they can pay online.
COLIN BARNETT
Well [Caller] it’s an interesting issue you make... you raise, and I know this again one of the arguments put up, but can I say to you... just have a look around. Our hospitals, twenty-four/seven, Police Service, twenty-four/seven, public transport service running right through the weekend and through the evening. So the services that people want out of normal working hours that are government services are provided, they are...
[CALLER]
Well I think a lot of people would want licensing open as well and banks and so on and so on... I think it can go to all areas... you’re talking about, you know, bringing the state into line with everyone else, yet we’re still behind the eight ball by not having it across the board.
COLIN BARNETT
Well [Caller]... I mean, you mentioned yourself there are online services for paying accounts, I mean... there is... not the demand... but... and I know this argument is sometimes put up, ‘well why should we work in our shop or you’re like if government services aren’t?’. The simply point I make... there are thousands of public sector employees who work night times and weekends, thousands of them.
So the argument doesn’t follow, and some... some businesses, some retail shops would choose to trade extended hours. Some will simply choose not to, cause it’s not worth their while and... you know, there’ll be elements... when... probably mainly talking about grocery items, there’s the sort of the drudgery of the week... the week shopping that people want to be able to get out of the way and that’s the shopping that they want to do on weeknights, so that they can keep their weekends free or as, and it was mentioned before, as... many mothers have spoken to me, working mothers say, they cannot cope with little children and the shopping on the Sunday... on a Saturday morning, they can’t get a parking bay it’s a nightmare. And they... just simply want the option of doing some of that shopping during a weeknight.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Thanks [Caller]. Thanks for calling in today. [gives talkback number and goes to ad break]
COLIN BARNETT [audio from Northbridge nightclub]
‘Do you come here often’?
PATRON [female]
I’ve heard that line before.
SIMON BEAUMONT
‘Do you come here often’... Premier, you haven’t been to... to Northbridge or a... or a pub or a club for some period of time, it would seem, you’re still using the ‘do you come here often line’.
COLIN BARNETT
Ah, yeah, look that was pretty ordinary, wasn’t it, on reflection? But, yeah, it was a good fun... it was an important announcement, I think, cutting back some of the trading hours and stronger policing in Northbridge. But, yeah, I went out and visited a couple of clubs and it was great talking to lots of young people and... except a group of girls dragged me up on the dance floor, never again...[laughs]
SIMON BEAUMONT
I saw the footage, Premier, and it...
COLIN BARNETT
Yeah, it wasn’t... it wasn’t a good look, was it?
SIMON BEAUMONT
No, you need to get out of the house a little bit more.
Premier, I wanted to ask you about the... the oil spill, if that’s possible? The... we’re now making international headlines, we believe it’s been 68 days this oil leak has been happening. Do you concede that this is doing damage to the industry, and as such by extension, it does... does do some damage to your push for... or your... your brokering of the Gorgon deal, the James Price Point deals, this is damaging to the industry and... and to your pro development stance, isn’t it?
COLIN BARNETT
Ah this is certainly damaging to the reputation of the Australian petroleum industry, no doubt about it, and I’m... I’m not dodging the issue, but again can I just make the point this is in Commonwealth waters in the joint jurisdiction of the Northern Territory. This is not an area that Western Australia has any jurisdiction over at all. If we did I’d be having a lot more to say about the issue.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Okay.
COLIN BARNETT
And I’ve got to say the Commonwealth at the moment is pushing for sole responsibility for all offshore oil and gas, this proves that should never ever happen, never happen, because the expertise basically, in this case, certainly is in the states.
Now having said that, you know, the... if you talk about the James Price Point LNG proposal, that will be gas coming on shore in a subsea pipeline, it’s not oil production. And a gas leakage, you don’t want gas to leak, but gas leakage obviously just goes into the atmosphere.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Mmm. But if you look at... if you look at this situation, point taken about federal wat... Commonwealth waters, I understand that, but this situation, the fact that Apache have managed to block the public report into the explosion on Varanus Island which was June of last year, we still don’t know any more about that. Surely we the public should be concerned about these companies looking after their own pollution emissions. Surely we should be concerned about the lack of public accountability that these companies seem to show.
PTTEP are not talking publicly about the oil leak; Apache have blocked the report. Shouldn’t we be worried about the regime, the framework whereby these companies don’t take public responsibility when things go wrong?
COLIN BARNETT
Well as a Government we certainly want the Apache report released. They have taken, as I understand it, a legal injunction to... to slow that down, eventually it will get out, and I think that’s disappointing. They’re obviously concerned about any legal ramifications for themselves.
With respect to the oil leak, yeah, look this is a serious situation. Had that oil leak been closer to the coast there would have been substantial damage.
SIMON BEAUMONT
... But... you and I have spoken about it many times and you say, ‘look, we tick off on the EPA, there’ll be no problems, the whales will still be able to move up and down, it’s all going to be hunky dory’, and yet when things do go wrong, Premier... when there is a problem, when... when we still don’t know a lot about geosequestration underneath Barrow Island, the concern from the public is growing that we don’t have enough control over adverse events.
COLIN BARNETT
Um, well I... I don’t accept that in West Australian waters. This oil leak is in very remote waters, it’s basically closer to Timor than it is to Australia in a sense. It’s very remote and that’s been part of the difficulty, but I think we could stand on our record in Western Australian administered waters on the oil and gas industry.
Now, yep, the explosion on Varanus Island, that was a catastrophe, it cost literally hundreds of millions of dollars to... to many businesses and disruptions to households, but if you look at the record of the industry it’s just been outstanding.
For example, the North West Shelf project has been in operation for 25 years, virtually without a hiccup. Chevron has been producing oil for over 40 years on Barrow Island on really superb standards of environmental management, but yeah, it does show that something can go wrong.
It’s a... it’s a complex industry drilling down to extraordinary depths in very remote locations, but it’s a big part of our economy and the development of the petroleum industry, more than anything else, is what is driving economic prosperity in this state.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Thank you, Premier. Let’s take some calls.
[Caller], from Cottesloe...[greetings not transcribed]
[CALLER]
I’m a resident and Colin represents Cottesloe. I was just wondering if he would... Colin, could see that most people in Perth like Cottesloe beach the way it is and that three storeys is what people have wanted and that it’s probably regarded as the best beach in Australia the way it is.
COLIN BARNETT
Ah well, [Caller], I love Cottesloe beach, use it frequently, and if you stand on the walkway along the beach and look west out over the ocean and the beach it is beautiful. Can I ask you next time you do that, turn around and look east and tell me what you think about what’s on the other side of the road.
[CALLER]
I... I have done that and... but if you want apartment blocks built I’m just wondering why you can’t confine them to certain areas like Leighton or Scarborough where there’s already big buildings going up. If you wanted more cafes and restaurants, there’s a three storey height limit already, it can accommodate, you know, lots of them. There’s already three sites along the beach that have indicated they wanted eight storeys, that’s under the present three storey limit and I’m just wondering how high they would be putting in submissions for if you increased it to five or six storeys.
COLIN BARNETT
Yeah, well look I guess everyone’s got their own view. I happen to think three is probably unnecessary too restrictive, four or five I think would be acceptable. I don’t support eight or nine and some ideas like that.
SIMON BEAUMONT
It needs... it needs tidying up, it’s pretty shabby.
COLIN BARNETT
I think it’s... to be honest, and I love Cottesloe, but I find that beachfront area embarrassing. The beach is superb, the public areas are lovely, the council does a good job there. Cottesloe Council’s nearly 20 years behind in its planning process, I mean, it’s... you know, we’re... we’re getting criticised as a Government for taking a greater role in planning, well that’s an example of why we will.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Yeah, probably WA’s most popular beach as well. [Caller], of Duncraig...[greetings not transcribed]
[CALLER]
Premier, given recent events on... on the freeway with incidents grid locking the city, have you any forward plans to... as you say, if we’re going to be a modern city, to go back to Professor Stephenson’s plan?
I know he envisaged a bridge linking... linking Point Walter, I know that will probably be out of the... out of the... out of the ball park, you know, but with modern technology we... what about a tunnel linking Stirling Highway with Canning Highway with... with links through to Leach Highway, is there any forward thinking on that?
COLIN BARNETT
Ah, [Caller], look I... I agree very much with what you said at the beginning. The Stephenson plan back in the 1950s has meant that Perth is a well planned city and a well functioning city in contrast to... to other major cities in Australia.
I don’t think we would see a tunnel under the river for quite some time but if Perth continues to grow no doubt at some stage you will see tunnel projects developed to ease traffic. So I don’t see that happening but we will continue to expand the... the major infrastructure. I think the connection now that... basically we’ve got freeway conditions from Joondalup right through to Bunbury is an extraordinary achievement. The expansion of the metropolitan rail system has been very good and as you know there’s... as you may know there’s about to be a further extension of the northern line, so I think that’s the way we go for a while. But...
SIMON BEAUMONT
[Caller], raises a good point though, doesn’t he? If we... if we lose the freeway, a section of the freeway for six hours we’re in all sorts of bother.
COLIN BARNETT
Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, it is. And, you know, completing some of the ring road systems, there’s a debate about Roe Stage 8, and that was part of the Stephenson plan. You’ve had the access to Fremantle Port basically blocked off by the previous government. Now North Fremantle is part of my electorate, go and stand on that corner down there by Stirling Highway, it is dangerous, the trucks cannot get in and out of the Fremantle Harbour safely. So, you know, Stephenson was right, he was a visionary. Had we kept to the Stephenson plan to the letter I think Perth would even be a better functioning city than it is.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Yeah, well Stephens... yeah, exactly right and no-one’s going to give up Wembley Golf Course or some of that real estate now, these days, are they, amongst other issues?
[Caller], from Bunbury, you’re our final caller, go ahead.
[CALLER]
[greetings not transcribed] Hey look, I read in The Sunday Times on the weekend that our local member and the Treasurer get chauffeur driven cars to Perth. Now just in these times it just... just surprises me, that’s all, that sort of stuff. Now maybe they’re entitled to it, whatever, but I just can’t believe it and then they’re saying they’ve also got another car. It just... it just doesn’t sit right with me, that’s all.
COLIN BARNETT
Ah, [Caller], yeah look I’m about to have a comprehensive... a detailed wide ranging review of all the sort of allowances and benefits for members of Parliament including Ministers, including Premiers, including former premiers, and I’ve just got to do that systematically. I’ll have a talk to some former members of Parliament and Robert Cock, the former DPP, is now a special counsel in Government, he’s going to assist me on that.
I’m not talking about dramatic change, but on that particular example you give, I think it’s appropriate a Minister of the Crown is entitled to be driven. Now they’re driven on official duty and that can be... also include taking them back to their residence.
On their weekend when they’re doing private business or going to local events I would expect Ministers to be driving themselves, and that... that’s what happens.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Ministers work when they’re being driven, don’t they, they’re on the phone, working on lap tops and...
COLIN BARNETT
Yeah, and look, you know, I just think that... that comes with the office and... we’ve just got to be careful here, that we just don’t dumb down government... dumb down the role of the premiers and ministers. Now Western Australia is a major player internationally... now I stress to the ministers... I think... one of my comments often say in Cabinet is, ‘before you do something just think about and act in moderation’. But having said that, I think ministers are entitled to be driven, cause they do their official duties.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Yeah... I’m okay with it... I know that... you know, I would expect ministers if they’re doing... on a three or four hour trip from the country they... they’re working, otherwise it’s dead time. You don’t want them driving a Toyota Prius and having to do all that.
Final question, if I can Premier... you’re an old-fashioned sort of fellow with old-fashioned values, we... we’re losing control of classroom behaviour. We see a teacher being charged with assault. He may lose his job if he goes to an Education Department inquiry. We know that poor classroom behaviour leads to poor behaviour in the community, I think it’s an obvious link that we can all make. How do we reduce the number of acts and the amount of policy that teachers have to comply with in the classroom when they’re dealing with unruly kids?
COLIN BARNETT
Simon, I agree with the... what you say about the problem, but I don’t necessarily agree with the way you may have expressed it then. I don’t think it’s poor classroom behaviour leading to poor behaviour in the society, I think it’s the other way around and... kids that maybe aren’t getting a degree of parental supervision and upbringing... take that bad behaviour into the school, into the classroom and teachers are left to cope with it. Now there a lot of regulations around teaching because you are dealing with minors... and you have that duty of care and responsibility.
The Education Act was redone in the late ‘90s and I was a Minister at the time, and the issues about, you know, discipline and so on were all part of that... and I listened to some of the early... callers... you know, there’s always call for a reintroduction of the cane and the like, well that’s not going to happen. We’re not going to go back to that... stages... but sometimes teachers are faced with violent and aggressive situations and you’ve got young, you know, 16-17 year olds... big blokes, they can be aggressive and that happens, look, I hope that in this particular case, I don’t think there’s any aspect... or any sort of suggestion of anything criminal... in anyway, and I would hope that the Education Department can deal with this. If the teacher overreacted then obviously he’s got to be guided not to do that again, and hopefully... it can be sorted out.
SIMON BEAUMONT
I just wonder... if you get a whinging parent and a... an unruly kid, they know how the system works. They’re going to play that parent. Their complaint is weighted equally to a serious complaint of assault... you know, if a teacher has hurt someone... look... that, the whinge, gets the same amount of weighting as the serious issue if that makes sense, you get whinging parents and naughty kids?
COLIN BARNETT
Yeah you do, and because it’s duty of care and dealing with children...
SIMON BEAUMONT
...You’re obliged to act...
COLIN BARNETT
...you’re obliged to take a... I guess a, a point of view on the side of the child. And look, when I was education minister I had cases at that time where... mischievous complaints were made against teachers... and basically destroyed teachers careers, and then two or three years later... ‘oh, I didn’t really mean it... it wasn’t true’. And those things have happened and... so teachers do feel vulnerable in those situations, because... how... you know, if a child accuses a teacher of something whether it’s a physical assault or even, you know, something of a sexual nature... how do you explain it, how do you defend yourself and it’s very, very difficult.
SIMON BEAUMONT
Yeah... Premier thanks for coming in today, appreciate your time.
Ends...
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__________________
He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.
Harold Wilson
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October 28th, 2009, 11:38 AM
someone dig up tha transcripts...
you're a bit of a funny guy. he says a number of things that sound right but u pick on the typical politicians line? sure the primary school line was cheesy but the fact is the referendum was pretty stupid.
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