❓ Dr. Nahan questions the Premier's job creation claims, citing ABS data on unemployment. The Premier defends his government's job creation record, contrasting it with the previous government's performance and highlighting increased participation rates.
AnsweredQoN 111Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE ECONOMY —
EMPLOYMENT — AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS
111. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
On
the Premier's official Twitter account yesterday he bragged that his
so-called jobs bill created more than 2 000 jobs, yet the Australian
Bureau of Statistics tells us that in fact there are more than 15 000 Western Australians
without jobs—that is, unemployed—since his bill was released.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
EMPLOYMENT — AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS
111. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
On
the Premier's official Twitter account yesterday he bragged that his
so-called jobs bill created more than 2 000 jobs, yet the Australian
Bureau of Statistics tells us that in fact there are more than 15 000 Western Australians
without jobs—that is, unemployed—since his bill was released.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
AnswerView source ↗
Was that a question?
Dr M.D. Nahan : Yes.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Okay, I will
take that as a question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
right!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Since we came
to power, we have created 33 000 additional jobs. Over the course of the last
18 months of the last Liberal–National government, 25 000 jobs were
lost in Western Australia. Obviously, since we have been in office and particularly
in recent months there has been a significant increase in participation in Western
Australia. If we had the national average of participation rates, our
unemployment rate would be around 4.8 per cent, but because we have so many
people engaged in the labour market or looking for work—significantly
higher than the national average, which is an expression of confidence and
probably an expression of the more youthful nature of Western Australia's
population—our unemployment rate is artificially higher than it would
be had our participation rate been the average of the other states. That is a fact.
Just last week, I was down at Austal
shipbuilders to announce 260 jobs on offer, including 45 apprenticeships that
have been set aside for women. It was a terrific event. On Friday, I turned the
first sod on the waste-to-energy plant in Kwinana, which has 800 jobs on offer.
We can see some considerable confidence across Western Australia because we
have a government focused on jobs that is getting on with the work of
government. To repeat it, there have been 33 000 additional jobs over our first
two years in office. Over the opposition's last two years in office, it
lost 25 000 jobs.
Dr M.D. Nahan : Yes.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Okay, I will
take that as a question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
right!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Since we came
to power, we have created 33 000 additional jobs. Over the course of the last
18 months of the last Liberal–National government, 25 000 jobs were
lost in Western Australia. Obviously, since we have been in office and particularly
in recent months there has been a significant increase in participation in Western
Australia. If we had the national average of participation rates, our
unemployment rate would be around 4.8 per cent, but because we have so many
people engaged in the labour market or looking for work—significantly
higher than the national average, which is an expression of confidence and
probably an expression of the more youthful nature of Western Australia's
population—our unemployment rate is artificially higher than it would
be had our participation rate been the average of the other states. That is a fact.
Just last week, I was down at Austal
shipbuilders to announce 260 jobs on offer, including 45 apprenticeships that
have been set aside for women. It was a terrific event. On Friday, I turned the
first sod on the waste-to-energy plant in Kwinana, which has 800 jobs on offer.
We can see some considerable confidence across Western Australia because we
have a government focused on jobs that is getting on with the work of
government. To repeat it, there have been 33 000 additional jobs over our first
two years in office. Over the opposition's last two years in office, it
lost 25 000 jobs.
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