Resources Minister Madeleine King has poured cold water on fears the federal government’s industrial relations laws have allowed a union push that could spell an “economic catastrophe” in WA’s mining heartland.

The Member for Brand accused miner BHP of trying to weaponise the press, and told a Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA event at Crown Perth on Thursday morning the laws were working as intended, branding suggestions otherwise “hysteria”.

The chamber had voiced concerns over changes to collective bargaining laws which allow unions to force miners to negotiate on pay and conditions even with only a small fraction of the workforce’s support.

The new laws were used to strongarm BHP into negotiating a new agreement for workers in the Pilbara for the first time in a decade.

King defended the policy, which she said was designed to provide workers better conditions, and insisted demand for labour was having a greater impact on company HR departments.

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The minister took aim at BHP, accusing the iron ore miner of using “the Murdoch press” to rail against Labor policy.

And she shut down chief economist Aaron Morey during a robust debate over union interference in the offshore oil and gas industry, which he said had the potential to stymie new investment for the sake of increasing the pay of workers on a quarter of a million dollars.

“I’m going to have to pull you up because I really don’t think it’s fair to say that without thinking about these people and the work they do,” she said.