Welcome to the Legislative Council of Western Australia. As President, I am the Presiding Officer and spokesperson for the Legislative Council. Together with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, I am responsible for the overall management of the Parliament.
The Legislative Council, as Western Australia’s House of Review, has a proud history of representing the interests of its citizens, and it is important that its independence is preserved and strengthened where necessary. It is an essential and important part of our parliamentary democracy.
I am keen to improve the physical, educational and symbolic links between the Parliament and the City of Perth and the people of Western Australia. The Speaker and I have had discussions with the Government, Perth City Council, the State Architect, and other stakeholders with a view to improve the way the Western Australian Parliament interacts with the Western Australian community.
Among my roles as President of the Legislative Council, I act as an ambassador for the House and WA Parliament. This involves meeting and hosting representatives from other governments, organizations and countries. Through such work, the Legislative Council has, over the years, developed good relationships with many other parliaments. It is my desire to improve public knowledge of and access to the Legislative Council. Engaging the public with the wide-ranging work of the Legislative Council is very important and hopefully, through this webpage, we can reach and engage all Western Australians.
An equally important aspect of my work is improving public understanding of the work of the Council. The Council receives over 15,000 visitors each year, while many more people find out about our work through this website. I encourage you to visit the Council and explore this website to learn more about what we do. You can read about some of the events I have attended and delegations I have hosted in the following postings, which I will be adding to as the Parliamentary term unfolds.
Kind regards, Hon. Barry House, President of the Legislative Council
What does the president do?
Japan and Western Australia have a special ongoing relationship, which was further strengthened with my meeting with the Deputy President for the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, Mr Takashi Morimura on Monday 23 April 2012.
Mr Morimura and the bank’s representatives, Mr Takashi Morisaki (Senior Executive Officer for the Bank of Tokyo), Mr Masato Miyachi (Executive Officer for the Bank of Tokyo), Mr Saburo Yao (Regional Head for the Bank of Tokyo – Australia), and Mr Toshiki Akahane (Perth Branch – General Manager), were in Perth to open Perth’s first branch of the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi.
The opening ceremony was held at the Hyatt Hotel and was well attended by officials and WA business links. Speeches were made by the Premier, Colin Barnett, the Ambassador of Japan, His Excellency Mr Shigekazu Sato and Sam Walsh, the CEO of Rio Tinto.
The presence of the Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank in Perth consolidates our strong relationship with Japan and further promotes WA’s links to Asia.
Picture: The President, Hon Barry House MLC (centre) shaking hands with Mr Takashi Morimura, with the other delegates from the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi.
Picture: The President, Hon Barry House MLC with His Excellency Mr Shigekazu Sato, Ambassador of Japan.
Western Australia holds a close and special relationship with Japan which has been further strengthened over the last few years. So it was with great privilege that on Monday 23 April, I hosted His Excellency Mr Shigekazu Sato, the Ambassador of Japan on his First Official visit to Western Australia.
Accompanying the Ambassador was Mr Hiroshi Nawata, first Secretary to the Embassy Canberra, Mr Tatsuo Ishikawa Consul General of Japan WA and Mr Masahiro Takagi Deputy of Mission Consulate General of Japan WA.
Our economic relationship with Japan has contributed strongly to the success of the State’s economy. Over the decades, this relationship has broadened through strong cultural and political links.
Japan is Western Australia’s second largest trading partner, with total trade between Western Australia and Japan worth over $25 billion in 2011. The complementary economic relationship between both countries is based on Western Australia’s role as a stable supplier of minerals, energy and food to Japan, and Japan’s role as a key investor in the Western Australian economy. Japan has made significant investments in the State’s resources sector, particularly in iron ore and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Ambassador Sato spoke with great enthusiasm about Japanese interests in Western Australia, which include the acquisition from Mitsubishi Development of Murchison Metal’s 50% interest in Crosslands Resources and 50% interest in Oakajee Port and Rail Pty Ltd. This acquisition gives Mitsubishi full ownerships of these two companies. Japan’s Marubeni Corporation is in advanced talks with Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd to buy a 12.5% stake in the Roy Hill iron-ore project, while Kobe Steel, Japan’s fourth-largest steel mill will invest US$298 million in a Western Australian iron ore project to secure supplies.
We spoke at great lengths about how special the Sister State relationship is with the Hyogo Prefecture. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the Sister State relationship between Western Australia and the Hyogo Prefecture. In August 2011 the Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, His Excellency Mr Toshizo Ido, and a number of delegations from Hyogo visited Western Australia to attend celebrations marking this 30th Anniversary. The Premier and Governor Ido signed a joint statement reaffirming the sister State affiliation and the continued commitment of both governments to further develop bilateral relations through activities and mutual exchanges. I was privileged to witness the signing of the agreement with the Speaker of the Hyogo Assembly.
We also discussed my experience in 1984 when I visited Japan as a Member of a WA Rotary Exchange Team. This was a great adventure for me at the time and gave me an invaluable insight into Japanese people, business and culture.
On the Ambassador’s First Official visit to Western Australia, Mr Sato also met with the Governor of Western Australia, the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, the Premier and held a briefing with the Department of State Development and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia.
On Wednesday, 14 March 2012, I met with His Excellency Dr Damir Arnaut, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina on his First Official visit to Western Australia. It was a pleasure to host the Ambassador and to learn more about the Ambassador and his country.
In 2010, Dr Arnaut was appointed Ambassador to Australia. Prior to his appointment, Dr Arnaut practised Law in the United States of America. Ambassador Arnaut has also published a number of scholarly articles in the fields of international and constitutional law, and has made frequent appearances at various academic conferences, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad.
We discussed the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The country is located in central Balkans and has a population of 3.9 million. The capital city is Sarajevo. The country is home to three main ethnic groups – Bosniaks (48%), Serbs (37.1%) and Croats (14.3%). The Dayton Peace Accord, which recognises the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina was signed in I995 with Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Picture: The President, Hon Barry House MLC with the His Excellency Dr Damir Arnaut, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Parliamentary Republic, which has a bicameral legislature and a three member Presidency comprising a member of each major ethnic group. The country’s three member Presidency system is decentralised and complex, particularly in relation to state functions. And I thought our parliamentary system was, at times, confusing!
Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007 which permits more than 95% of the country’s exports to enter the European Union duty and quota free.
Since 1993-94, Australia has contributed $17 million in humanitarian assistance to the region.
Ambassador Arnaut explained Bosnia and Herzegovina’s current economic policy priorities are the acceleration of integration into the EU, strengthening the fiscal system, public administration reform and World Trade Organisation membership.
Whilst in Western Australia, the Ambassador also met with the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, the Governor of Western Australia, the Chief Justice of Western Australia, and provided with an economic briefing on Western Australia conducted by the Department of State Development.
Picture: The President, Hon Barry House MLC with Mr Adriano Tedde, Consul of Italy.
I recently hosted Mr Adriano Tedde, the new Consul of Italy on Tuesday, 14 February 2012. This was our first official meeting together.
Mr Tedde was the First Secretary Commercial at the Australian Embassy of Italy in 2008 and was appointed as Consul of Italy to Western Australia in 2011.
Mr Adriano Tedde was born in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy in 1976. He has a Degree in Political Sciences from the University of Sassari and also holds a Masters in International Affairs.
In our meeting, we spoke of Italy’s economic and political climate. Mr Tedde explained that in December 2011, the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Mario Monti, unveiled an ambitious package of spending cuts and tax increases, including very unpopular moves such as raising the country’s retirement age. The measures are meant to slash the cost of government, combat tax evasion and step up economic growth so the country can eliminate its budget deficit by 2013. However, the package has been met with huge resistance and has been significantly weakened in getting through Parliament.
Many Western Australians are of Italian descent and the links between our State and Italy are very strong. There is a strong Italian based community in WA.
It was interesting to learn that Western Australia’s total trade with Italy was 79 million in 2010-11, down from $128 million in 2008-09. Major Western Australian exports to Italy in 2010 were nickel, heavy mineral sands and wool, with imports from Italy being medicinal and pharmaceutical products, pumps and water craft.
On Tuesday 14 February 2012, I met with His Excellency Mr Diego Betancur, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia. It was Ambassador Betanur’s first official visit to Western Australia and he was accompanied by Mrs Olga Bula, Deputy Head of Mission.
Mr Diego Betancur is the son of former Colombian President Belisario Betancur Cuartas. In 2008, he was appointed as Ambassador to Australia and in 2009 the Non-Resident Ambassador to New Zealand.
During his first official visit to Western Australia, Mr Betancar met with His Excellency the Governor of Western Australia, the Chief Justice of Western Australia, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, and the CEO of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia. Mr Betancur also had an economic briefing on Western Australia conducted by the Department of State Development.
Ambassador Betanur spoke of Colombia’s interest in the Asia-Pacific region over recent years. Colombia is now a full member of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, a member of two Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) working groups and is currently seeking full membership of APEC.
Picture: The President, Hon Barry House MLC shakes the hand with His Excellency Mr Diego Betancur, Ambassador of Colombia.