Former Premier Mark McGowan has put some of the onus for the pace of the state’s contentious approvals system back on industry, while stressing the importance of relationships in business.
Former Premier Mark McGowan has put some of the onus for the pace of the state’s contentious approvals system back on industry, while stressing the importance of relationships in business.
Mr McGowan, who has remained deliberately media shy since his shock resignation in May last year, made an appearance as a keynote speaker at a WA Mining Club event this afternoon.
The former premier cited exhaustion for his departure from parliament but has since taken on a bevy of roles in the private sector, as an advisor to APM Human Services International, BHP and Mineral Resources, and as a senior advisor at Joe Hockey’s US-focused firm Bondi Partners.
Speaking to a business crowd, Mr McGowan said his life on the other side of politics was vastly different and offered some perspective on his willingness to support some of the state’s largest business operations.
“I consult a bunch of companies,” he said.
“BHP – you all know them – BHP, [Mineral Resources], they’re great, they’re heavily involved in Western Australia.
“They like to take my advice on how to get on with government – what to say, who to talk to, seeking my advice on issues that might come along, international relations.
“Whatever it may be.
“I’m more than happy to provide it, because they provide tens of thousands of jobs to Australia, and in particular Western Australians.”
Mr McGowan revealed his alliance with Mr Hockey at Bondi took a back seat to his other roles in terms of time commitment, and that he was not heavily ideological when it came to political allegiance in his post-parliamentary life.
He took a shot at the culture of “hate” in the US political system and said he did not believe it would ever fly in Australia.
“[Imagine a political opponent saying] ‘Libby Mettam is going to destroy Western Australia’,” he said with a laugh.
“Really? No. She’s not.”
But the implications of the US election could flow through to WA, according to the former premier, who pointed out the precarious balance the state has to maintain between its trade relationship with China and its ideological alignment to the US.
The US has threatened tariffs on China and other nations – including Canada – a close ally.
Mr McGowan said Australia’s history as an ally to the US should afford it respect when it comes to autonomy of the nation’s trade, but conceded things could be more challenging under the next Trump presidency.
Approvals were also on the agenda, with Mr McGowan pointing out the state’s system was efficient compared to many jurisdictions around the world.
He recommended mining sector players focus on building relationships in support of their interests.
“…Build relationships with people inside the departments, with people inside parliament,” he said when asked for advice on approaching the approvals process.
“Build relationships, make friends, so that if you ever want to talk to someone you have a contact.”
The former premier also pushed the importance of diligence in approvals applications across the board, claiming some of the onus of responsibility for delays fell back on proponents.
“The number of times when… people would complain about an application, and then you go and follow up and they say ‘look, they just haven’t done it. They haven’t done it right. They submitted it late. They didn’t attach whatever they’re supposed to attach,” Mr McGowan said.
“If you do everything correctly it’s very hard for governments to delay things.”
No update was provided on Mr McGowan’s start date as chair of Frontier Energy, which remains unclear more than three months after it was announced to the ASX.
