The following is taken from an article as reported in The Sunday Times (17 July 2011).
“WA Premier Colin Barnett is mired in fresh conflict-of-interest claims, after the husband of a senior mining executive was appointed to a senior role in the Environment Minister’s office.”
“The Sunday Times can reveal Liberal Parth ‘fixer’ Colin Edwardes was appointed as the chief of staff to struggling Environment Minister Bill Marmion at the end of June.” Colin Edwardes is the husband of former Richard Court government minister, Cheryl Edwardes, who is the director of “external affairs, government relations and approvals” at Hancock Prospecting, Gina Rinehart’s company.
The Sunday Times reported that “according to the Environmental Protection Authority, Hancock Prospecting has at least four environmental approvals pending, including several relating to its $7.2 billion Roy Hill iron ore mine in the Pilbara.”
The newspaper article also reported:
- in 2008, Mr Barnett’s had to fend off conflict of interest concerns over his daughter-in-law’s senior lobbying position with Woodside Energy.
- in 2009, Barnett’s chief of staff Diedre Willmot stepped down after her husband’s law firm added the energy sector to its area of practice.
- In 2010, Barnett appointed two ex-Woodside executives as advisors.
Premier Colin Barnett must come clean and reveal his full relationship with Woodside Energy, after all, did he not tell BHP to bugger off when rumours of a take-over made the news a few months ago?
Yes saw this yesterday and was disgusted like most people. There appears to be a lack of ethics in goverment and a complete lack of accountibility, and they are so blatant about it, it is scary really; what next? I feel like we no longer live in a true democracy in WA.
Hi, this is Melinda from protect the kimberley I have sent the following letter to a number of news papers, please feel free to do the same xx
To the Editor
I am writing to the Sydney Morning Herald in the hope that you can help us inform the public about what is currently happening at James Price Point in the Kimberley.
I feel that Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett, has a conflict of interest,regarding Woodside’s proposal to erect a gas hub at James Price Point. The Traditional Owners were told to sign Woodside’s agreement or face compulsory Acquisition of their
land..Premier Barnett is acting in his own interests, ‘and not the publics, as his daughter-in-law holds a senior position at Woodside Energy. I ask you, now doesn’t this sound like a definite conflict of interests, or Political corruption at its finest! In
2008, Premier Colin Barnett fended off these concerns, while In 2009, Barnett’s chief of staff Diedre Willmot stepped down after her husband’s law firm added the energy sector to its area of practice. In 2010, Barnett appointed two ex-Woodside executives as advisor’s. In 2011 Traditional Owners were forced by Premier Colin Barnett and Woodside to accept Woodsides proposal or face compulsory acquisition of their land, (currently under
native title, and in the process of being heritage listed) There were irregularities in who was able to vote, and also the incorrect belief of many eligible native title claimants, who thought not attending the meeting, was taken as a ‘no’ vote. This behavior is
nothing short of criminal.
Premier Barnett unlawfully allowed Woodside to start clearing the land at James Price Point (with the help of the W.A police force), under the pretext of environmental studies (even though Woodside does not have environmental approval for this project and their joint venture partners BP, Shell, BHP and Chevron have not yet decided whether they will go ahead with it at all) In the process they have destroyed a number of historic artefact’s and important Aboriginal cultural sites. This area also contains the world’s longest chain of dinosaur footprints. The fossilized footprints of 15 types of dinosaur, which stretch for 80 kilometers along the Kimberley coast around Broome. This is crown land currently under Native title claim, and therefore Woodside has no legal right to keep anyone off it.
I ask you, is the Police Force here to uphold Australian Law, or Premier Barnett and Woodside’s version of the law ??
The arrest of many Traditional Owners of the land, especially while conducting a peaceful protest is nothing short of a crime in itself. Please find attached two pictures taken on the 5th July 2011 of Australian Police knocking over an 80 year old man who was peacefully protesting at the James Price Point gas hub site (You can see he is being protected by his son), the other one is of the same man being dragged away by his arms.
We ask for your help to let everyone in Australia, know what is happen at the Kimberley, we can’t let this behavior go on!
The Kimberley countryside is one of the last truly untouched area’s of Australia and as such should be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
I hope you can help us inform the public, and in turn stop the desecration of our beautiful land.
Your sincerely
Melinda Wilson
Hi Melinda. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Cheers…Paul