Liberal Party criticism of South-West Minister David Smith over the decision by Compact Steel to locate at Kwinana is the height of hypocrisy.
Deputy Premier and State Development Minister Ian Taylor said the criticism also ignored the facts.
"What we have here is an Opposition which said it would not give any financial support to the Compact Steel feasibility study, when Compact itself has stressed the importance of the contributions by the State and Federal Governments," Mr Taylor said.
"The then Opposition leader Mr MacKinnon on radio, on at least two occasions in February this year, made it very clear that they would not have given financial support to the feasibility study. Yet the current Deputy Opposition leader has the audacity to criticise Mr Smith over his opinion about where the plant should go, bearing in mind that Mr Smith is a Minister in the Government which encouraged us to support the project, when under the Liberals with no support, there would be every chance the project proponents would probably have not been interested in coming to Western Australia at all.
"It is also unfortunate that the Opposition continues to get away with perpetuating the myth that Mr Smith's opinions were in some way responsible for Bunbury losing the project.
"Nothing could be further from the truth - Compact Steel has made it clear that his opinions had nothing to do with their decision. It was based ultimately on economic and environmental grounds.
"Included in this was the need for customers for the power generated through the mill, the size of Bunbury harbour, the nature of the site itself and the size of the gas pipeline to Bunbury.
"Now the decision has been made, maybe the Liberals, rather than peddling half truths around the media, would be better employed spending their time telling the public exactly what their policies will be in assisting development in Western Australia," Mr Taylor said.
"All we have heard from them so far is the usual carping and not one positive suggestion. If their lack of support for the Compact Steel or Simcoa is any yardstick, nothing will happen in this State in the unlikely event that they ever get into Government."
