❓ Mr. Carey questions the Premier on securing direct flights between Shanghai and Perth during Chinese New Year. The Premier responds by highlighting the government's investment in tourism and the economic benefits of the flights and the broader WA-China relationship.
AnsweredQoN 849Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM — DIRECT FLIGHTS — SHANGHAI–PERTH
849. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Premier:
I refer to the government's commitment to creating
jobs and supporting small businesses through its unprecedented efforts to bring
more visitors to Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier please outline how the government was able to secure direct flights
between Shanghai and Perth during the Chinese New Year season?
(2) What will
these direct flights mean for the Western Australian economy?
849. Mr J.N. CAREY to the Premier:
I refer to the government's commitment to creating
jobs and supporting small businesses through its unprecedented efforts to bring
more visitors to Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier please outline how the government was able to secure direct flights
between Shanghai and Perth during the Chinese New Year season?
(2) What will
these direct flights mean for the Western Australian economy?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
We have secured another victory for the Western Australian economy. This
government has invested in tourism and innovative marketing and events like no
government ever before. I would like to thank the Minister for Tourism for all
his efforts in securing record numbers of international and interstate tourists
to our state. Today we were able to announce a trial of direct flights between
Shanghai and Perth. China Eastern Airlines will be running the nonstop flights
starting on 15 January next year. China Eastern is the seventh largest airline
in the world. It will be the first time ever China Eastern flies into Perth.
The flights will be three times a week, which equates to 3 480 seats. They will
run during peak Chinese New Year season between 15 January and 17 February next
year.
It is now incumbent on us to work with
the airport and the airline to promote this new flight with a view to,
hopefully, making it permanent. It came about as a consequence of a concerted
effort by this government to secure this trial. I took a significant tourism
delegation to Shanghai in late 2017. The minister has met with China Eastern on
a number of occasions, as has Tourism WA, and I went back earlier this year and
did it again with the chairman of China Eastern.
We are very pleased to have
secured this. It takes a lot of effort to get to this point. We did the same
with Air Nippon Airways, the Tokyo–Perth direct flights, which started
a few weeks ago. This achievement shows that the Western Australian
relationship with China is very, very important, particularly for jobs in Western
Australia. Madam Dong, the Chinese Consul General, was at the announcement this
morning. Last financial year, the total value of exports from Western Australia
to China was in excess of $81 billion and the total value of imports to Western
Australia from China was $4.7 billion. In other words, we have a $75 billion
trade surplus with China. That is responsible for one-quarter of the Western Australian
economy. Around 300 000 Western Australian jobs are dependent upon it. That is
why I am very, very vocal about how important this relationship is when dealing
with the federal government and when commenting nationally on it. It is
incredibly important to our economy and to jobs and to the prosperity of this
country. Where do members think the commonwealth revenues are coming from? They
are coming from exports to China generated out of Western Australia. That is
why the federal government is nearly back in surplus. It is because of all the
company tax coming out of Western Australia. Hundreds of thousands of jobs
depend on it and that is why I will continue to support the relationship. I encourage
the Prime Minister to go to China and re-evaluate and recommit to a stronger
relationship with China. Our relationship with China and the United States is
not mutually exclusive. I believe in our strong defence relationship with the
United States and I believe in our strong economic, cultural and social
relationship with China. We can have both. We do not have to choose between
them. An example of Western Australia having that good relationship is these
direct flights, which we were able to announce today and which will create jobs
and opportunities in our state. I encourage everyone to take up the opportunity
to travel to China, and people in China to take up the opportunity to travel
here.
We have secured another victory for the Western Australian economy. This
government has invested in tourism and innovative marketing and events like no
government ever before. I would like to thank the Minister for Tourism for all
his efforts in securing record numbers of international and interstate tourists
to our state. Today we were able to announce a trial of direct flights between
Shanghai and Perth. China Eastern Airlines will be running the nonstop flights
starting on 15 January next year. China Eastern is the seventh largest airline
in the world. It will be the first time ever China Eastern flies into Perth.
The flights will be three times a week, which equates to 3 480 seats. They will
run during peak Chinese New Year season between 15 January and 17 February next
year.
It is now incumbent on us to work with
the airport and the airline to promote this new flight with a view to,
hopefully, making it permanent. It came about as a consequence of a concerted
effort by this government to secure this trial. I took a significant tourism
delegation to Shanghai in late 2017. The minister has met with China Eastern on
a number of occasions, as has Tourism WA, and I went back earlier this year and
did it again with the chairman of China Eastern.
We are very pleased to have
secured this. It takes a lot of effort to get to this point. We did the same
with Air Nippon Airways, the Tokyo–Perth direct flights, which started
a few weeks ago. This achievement shows that the Western Australian
relationship with China is very, very important, particularly for jobs in Western
Australia. Madam Dong, the Chinese Consul General, was at the announcement this
morning. Last financial year, the total value of exports from Western Australia
to China was in excess of $81 billion and the total value of imports to Western
Australia from China was $4.7 billion. In other words, we have a $75 billion
trade surplus with China. That is responsible for one-quarter of the Western Australian
economy. Around 300 000 Western Australian jobs are dependent upon it. That is
why I am very, very vocal about how important this relationship is when dealing
with the federal government and when commenting nationally on it. It is
incredibly important to our economy and to jobs and to the prosperity of this
country. Where do members think the commonwealth revenues are coming from? They
are coming from exports to China generated out of Western Australia. That is
why the federal government is nearly back in surplus. It is because of all the
company tax coming out of Western Australia. Hundreds of thousands of jobs
depend on it and that is why I will continue to support the relationship. I encourage
the Prime Minister to go to China and re-evaluate and recommit to a stronger
relationship with China. Our relationship with China and the United States is
not mutually exclusive. I believe in our strong defence relationship with the
United States and I believe in our strong economic, cultural and social
relationship with China. We can have both. We do not have to choose between
them. An example of Western Australia having that good relationship is these
direct flights, which we were able to announce today and which will create jobs
and opportunities in our state. I encourage everyone to take up the opportunity
to travel to China, and people in China to take up the opportunity to travel
here.
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