HYPOCRITICAL ‘HYPOCRITICAL’: Premier Mark McGowan has defended the State Government’s decision to subsidise the restart of iron ore exports through Esperance Port, claiming the move has saved about 400 jobs.
Iron ore shipments from the Koolyanobbing mine near Southern Cross ended earlier this year after its US owners Cliffs announced its closure.
Australian miner Mineral Resources bought the mine and port infrastructure last month in a deal brokered with the State Government.
The deal includes five years of discounted port charges, with State Parliament told this week the total cost of the subsidy would be nearly $63 million.
Opposition Leader Mike Nahan has criticised the rescue package as “over the top”.
But Mr McGowan told ABC Goldfields-Esperance the previous government did the same thing by providing royalty assistance to Chinese-owned magnetite mines in WA’s Mid-West.
“For the Liberals and Nationals, who demanded we take action, to come in and criticise us for actually taking action and preserving those jobs, I find it extremely hypocritical,” Mr McGowan told the ABC.
“They’re the biggest pack of whingers you could ever come across, and all they want to do is wreck the State’s finances, wreck our efforts to create jobs and criticise everything the government does.”