The top echelons of industry policy are going through a big change with one of Premier Alan Carpenter’s most senior advisers, Peter Terlick, recently being installed as chief of staff to industry and enterprise minister Francis Logan.
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The top echelons of industry policy are going through a big change with one of Premier Alan Carpenter’s most senior advisers, Peter Terlick, recently being installed as chief of staff to industry and enterprise minister Francis Logan.
The top echelons of industry policy are going through a big change with one of Premier Alan Carpenter’s most senior advisers, Peter Terlick, recently being installed as chief of staff to industry and enterprise minister Francis Logan.
Mr Terlick has spent the past year working for the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, but before that spent several years as a key adviser to Mr Carpenter, most recently as the premier’s principal private secretary.
Mr Terlick’s departure from the chamber coincided with the resignation of its chief executive, Tim Shanahan, who has taken up a new role at the University of Western Australia as director of its energy and minerals initiative.
Another impending change is the retirement of the Department of Industry and Resources long-serving director general, Jim Limerick. Mr Limerick will not be renewing his contract when it expires in early 2009.
However, a department spokesperson said it was anticipated that a new appointment would be made by early next year. Mr Limerick has been with the department for 21 years and has been director general since July 2001.
Former deputy director general Gary Stokes had been favoured to succeed Mr Limerick but he left the department earlier this year after he was found to be dealing with disgraced lobbyists Brian Burke and Julian Grill.
Mr Terlick’s move to Mr Logan’s office follows more than 18 months of ministerial reshuffles, which has left some people in the business community concerned about a lack of direction and cohesion in the industry portfolio.
Responsibility for industry policy is currently split between Mr Carpenter, who handles trade, science and innovation, deputy premier and treasurer Eric Ripper, who is state development minister, and Mr Logan, who handles energy, resources, and industry and enterprise.
In addition, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan has ministerial responsibility for the Australian Marine Complex at Henderson, which is a key element of the state government’s industry policy, while Margaret Quirk is minister for small business.
As the most senior minister in the industry portfolio, Mr Carpenter will have the final say in selecting a successor to Mr Limerick.
Another key industry policy position due to be filled shortly is director general of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure. Former director general, Greg Martin, has moved to a research post at Curtin University, where he will head the Planning and Transport Research Centre.