The Shadow Treasurer says with the multiple crises in the energy sector the Government should have more important things to do than change the name of the Department that overseas energy in Western Australia.
“Seriously, does anybody think adding the word “Energy” to the name of the Department will make it function any better than it does now” Dr Thomas said.
“I think we already understood that the Department dealt with energy, and changing the name won’t alter that.
“I hope the administrative cost of changing the signage and business cards won’t be too great an impost on the departmental budget. Lucky the Government is sitting on billions in surpluses to cover the cost!
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) will be renamed the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) from the 1st of December according to a media release from the Government today.
“The coal industry is on its knees in Collie, businesses and households can’t get connected in a timely manner, and the current transition plan to clean energy will fail on both time and cost, and the Government is worried about the name we call the Department that is overseeing this mess?” Dr Thomas said.
“The energy situation in this state is so dire the Government imported 103,000 tonnes of coal from NSW to our own coal mining hub of Collie last summer because they were worried that they couldn’t keep the lights on.
“That turned out to be a waste because the coal they imported was too hard to blend and use in our coal fired power stations, but it probably cost the state $100 million.
“The Government also has no solution to the financial mess that Griffin Coal is in, despite paying $1.36 million in consultant fees as they outsource the search for the answer.
“There is also a cost of living crisis in play for many Western Australian families struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table that needs more State government attention.
“At a time that the Cook Government is struggling to meet energy demand, and the state has a multitude of issues to deal with, surely there are higher priorities than this.”
