February 8, 2019 McGowan backflips on $1B rock lobster cash grab The Liberal Opposition says the McGowan Government’s decision to backflip on its plans to nationalise a significant portion of the State’s rock lobster industry and give itself a $1 billion cash boost is well overdue. Opposition Leader Mike Nahan says that fatally flawed policy was allowed to even see the light of day is a telling indictment on the leadership of Premier Mark McGowan. “For a policy that would have plundered a valuable export industry built around one of the most sustainable and best-run fishery operations in the world to make its way through Cabinet and get the endorsement of the Premier shows this Premier is not in control of his Government, “ Dr Nahan said. “This saga simply adds to Mr Kelly’s dismal handling of shark attack mitigation and his blatant tax grab from struggling WA families through overcharging on water – he is a bumbling Minister who deserves to lose his job. “I challenge Premier McGowan to put the interests of local businesses and WA families before the interests of union heavyweights and sack Minister Kelly.” Dr Nahan said it was unfortunate that it had taken an expensive campaign and a great deal of pain for local fisher families to convince both the Premier and Minister Kelly to backflip on what had been a disastrous policy decision from the outset. “The decision to increase rock lobster quotas but quarantine the bulk of that increase for Government ownership had the potential to destroy the viability of the businesses of many lobster fishers and ruin our reputation in the eyes of investors,” Dr Nahan said. “Minister Kelly tried to hide his disastrous decision behind a smokescreen of increasing affordable crayfish to the local market but it was clear to all that he had eyes only for the almost $1 billion cash grab that ownership of quotas would give the Government. “The industry itself had been lobbying Minister Kelly for many months to engage on ways to increase local availability but he had turned a deaf ear and instead went for an option that would give his government a $1 billion boost to help pay for its election promises.” Dr Nahan said the Opposition would welcome honest attempts by the Government to increase availability of lobsters to the local market and boost the tourism potential of this unique delicacy. Media Contact |
