Peter Dutton stands with WA declaring NW Shelf gas project Australia’s ‘sliding doors’ moment

Clear battlelines have been drawn in the race for WA, as Peter Dutton vowed the State’s resources industry is a major election focus.

He told The West Australian’s Leadership Matters breakfast in Perth that Labor is “at odds with the interests of WA” and putting the resources industry at risk for the sake of votes.

“I want this great State to boom and I want it to continue to be the powerhouse that you have made it,” the Opposition Leader said.

There was impromptu cheers in the room, packed with Coalition faithful and industry figures, when Mr Dutton vowed to de-fund the “disgraced” Environmental Defenders Office.

He attacked Labor’s revival of Nature Positive laws and the Government’s move to delay a decision on Woodside’s $30 billion North-West Shelf extension.

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“That project is equal to 3000 jobs and the countless tax dollars and royalties into the WA and national economies,” he said.

“I want to make sure we can get more projects going here,” Mr Dutton said.

“They are at odds with the interests of WA and the sliding doors moment is, if you choose that path and the projects dry up.

“At the moment more than 80 planned iron ore, coal and gas projects have stalled, projects that would have created 48,000 jobs had they been approved under a Coalition Government.

“Our plan is to make sure that Labor’s nature positive laws never see the light of day. Because if it was about nature and it was about being positive, you would have received the detail.

“They knew it would be significantly detrimental to people in WA, but advantageous if you’re seeking green votes in Sydney and Melbourne.”

Grilled over his $331 billion plan for seven nuclear power plants, including one slated for Collie in WA’s south-west, Mr Dutton said it was about efficient use of taxpayer funds.

But he appeared to leave some wriggle room.

“I don’t carry a candle for nuclear or any other technology,” he said.

“We can subsidise all sorts of energies, and we’ve done that and people have invested into it . . . I suspect if we put subsidies into nuclear then people would flock to it.

“It’s about how we deliver the most efficient process and system. The top 20 economies in the world, Australia is the only outlier and why would we be swinging against that tide.”