The Sunday Times http://www.news.com.au/national/ Court advisor linked to nuclear dump By MARCUS PRIEST 4apr99 AN investigation by The Sunday Times has uncovered links between a company proposing a nuclear waste dump in the WA outback, the Premier's Office and the Premier's former chief adviser. WA Premier Richard Court has also admitted that his office received updates from US company Pangea after a meeting between the company and his former chief-of-staff, Ian Fletcher. But Mr Court said he was not informed. On leaving Mr Court's office in March, Mr Fletcher was approached by Pangea to act as its media adviser. The ongoing contact between the Premier's Office, Mr Fletcher and Pangea bolsters claims by critics and supporters of the proposed dump that there is support for the proposal in the upper echelons of the Liberal Party. "This confirms my fears that this company has been developing a relationship with key people, especially in the Government, over a much longer period than they have been letting on," said Greens MLC Giz Watson. Yesterday, Mr Fletcher moved to distance his company, Fletcher Rowe & Associates, from Pangea after refusing to comment on the matter on Friday. In a written statement delivered to The Sunday Times yesterday, he denied any "formal business relationship" with Pangea Resources and said he had referred Pangea to Perth media firm Andaluna. On Wednesday, The Sunday Times was told by a person in Pangea director Jim Voss's office that there was regular contact with Fletcher Rowe. "I contact Fletcher Rowe from time to time to find out what is happening in the media in Perth," a Pangea spokesman said. But after requests for further details of the relationship, Pangea refused to comment. "We make no comment on commercial matters pertaining to Pangea," Mr Voss said on Thursday. "The disclosure of any organisation that is supporting us is up to them. I cannot confirm nor deny whether any organisation is involved with us." On Friday, Mr Fletcher also refused to reveal the details of his relationship with Pangea. "We are not media relations consultants. Whatever relationship we have with any client is a commercial in-confidence relationship and that is the arrangement we have," Mr Fletcher said. When asked whether this meant that Pangea was a client, Mr Fletcher said: "Don't get smart. "There has been contact between Pangea and our organisation, it has been informal contact and that is the end of it." The written statement to The Sunday Times from Mr Fletcher said: "Fletcher Rowe and Associates has no formal business relationship with Pangea Resources. "Pangea approached FRA seeking media advice in Western Australia. It was explained to Pangea that FRA was not a media relations organisation and it was suggested that they approach Perth media consultant Stuart Joynt. "It is understood that Mr Joynt's company, Andaluna, has been retained by Pangea Resources." Mr Fletcher refused to say whether he supported the waste dump. Australian Security Commission records show FRA was registered on February 8, 1999, as a "business service consultancy" with Mr Fletcher and Peter Rowe - former chief-of-staff to Fair Trading Minister Doug Shave - as the persons carrying on the business. Mr Fletcher first met with Pangea on November 14, 1997, along with Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan. On December 3, 1998, Mr Cowan told the Legislative Council that the November meeting was at a ministerial level and a "courtesy call only". On several occasions since then, Mr Cowan and Resources Minister Colin Barnett have denied any further contact between their departments and Pangea. But following the meeting, the Premier's Office was kept regularly informed of Pangea's progress and approaches to industry, although there was no formal correspondence. Asked whether the information was passed on to him, Mr Court said: "No. "Pangea kept my office informed of approaches they had made to industry, which is normal. There have been no contacts with myself but even if there were there would be nothing sinister in it," Mr Court said this week. Giz Watson questioned whether it was normal practice for the Premier to be kept informed by companies of their activities in WA. She called for an independent inquiry into the matter. "Does the Premier know of all business transactions going on in this State?" she asked. "We also really need to know when Mr Fletcher referred Pangea on to another company. "This all smells of a cover-up and trying to minimise the fallout. "We have been told that Hendy Cowan met with them once and this was a courtesy call and then we find out that the Premier's staff has had an ongoing relationship with them." This week, the Premier refused to question Government members about whether they had had any contact or dealings with Pangea. The Premier's Office faxed a form letter to all Government members asking whether any had met with Pangea. The request was cancelled by another fax within minutes - without explanation. On being asked about the faxes by The Sunday Times, the Premier said: "Who Members of Parliament meet is their responsibility. In carrying out their duties they have a responsibility to listen to all interest groups." Pangea, a US company, has proposed building a nuclear-waste disposal facility in the Pilbara. Opposition accountability spokesman Eric Ripper said the Premier should reveal the nature of discussions between Pangea and Mr Fletcher. "This would indicate that Pangea has some degree of influence at senior levels of State government and also in the Liberal Party," Mr Ripper said. "Clearly, Pangea is receiving better reception from elite levels of the Liberal Party than with the WA public."In other jurisdictions there is a period within which a person cannot work as a lobbyist to avoid potential conflict of interest arising." WA Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot has repeated his claims there is broad support for the Pangea waste dump among State and federal Liberal parliamentarians. Mr Court has stated publicly that WA would not consider a proposal for a nuclear waste dump. ************************************************************************* This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
