❓ The Premier provides an update on the Western Australian Jobs Act, highlighting its success in creating local jobs, apprenticeships, and opportunities for WA businesses, while contrasting it with the previous government's record on TAFE fees and apprenticeships.
AnsweredQoN 487Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN
AUSTRALIAN JOBS ACT
487. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Premier:
Can
the Premier update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's Western
Australian Jobs Act is creating more jobs for Western Australians and
delivering more opportunities for local businesses, contractors and suppliers?
AUSTRALIAN JOBS ACT
487. Ms E. HAMILTON to the Premier:
Can
the Premier update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's Western
Australian Jobs Act is creating more jobs for Western Australians and
delivering more opportunities for local businesses, contractors and suppliers?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Joondalup for
the question. Prior to answering it, on behalf of the member for Jandakot, I welcome
the year 6 students from St John Bosco College and their teacher, Kalinda
Knight. I also welcome the students from Carcoola Primary School, whom I met at
lunch a few moments ago.
The government has been committed to
ensuring that we secure more work for Western Australians on major projects
such as the Matagarup Bridge, which was, of course, languishing in a workshop
somewhere in Malaysia—a couple of pieces of metal on a fabrication
floor in Malaysia—under the last government. Now we can see that it has
been built by Western Australians. It looks magnificent over the river. We
brought that project back to Western Australia and had it built here using Western
Australian firm, Civmec. Obviously, we have ensured that we take steps to
ensure that Western Australian people—bricklayers, plumbers and
electricians—are employed and we do not fast-track occupations of that
nature into Western Australia when people here are unemployed. On top of that,
we introduced our Western Australian Jobs Bill, which came into operation in
October. It means that companies or businesses bidding for government work need
to submit a local participation plan outlining apprenticeships, traineeships,
local content and the like.
Since October, 46 projects have
required local participation plans. The percentage of Western Australian work
on those projects is at more than 90 per cent. That means that Western Australian
businesses and Western Australian suppliers
are securing more than 90 per cent of the work here in our state. Under these
participation plans, 7 624 local jobs have been created and we are
ensuring that small businesses in the regions in particular have help in
tendering, with $300 000 of support in grants announced in the last month. We
have also put staff into development commissions to support those sorts of
initiatives to ensure that the actions as a result of the Western Australian
Jobs Act support Western Australian regional small and medium–sized
enterprises.
Further news out of this 90 per
cent local content is that 340 apprenticeships and traineeships have been
created as part of this work for Western Australians—340
apprenticeships and traineeships across the state. That contrasts, of course,
with what occurred under the last government when it put up TAFE fees by 500 per
cent. When the Leader of the Opposition was in government, TAFE fees for
important trades went up 500 per cent; there was a 500 per cent increase for Western
Australians wishing to attend TAFE. Of course, we froze fees, as opposed to the
500 per cent increases by the Liberal Party. We saw a dramatic cut in the
number of people undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships under the last
government, which is another thing the Liberal Party in particular should
apologise for. But something this government is focused on is local apprenticeships,
local traineeships and local jobs.
the question. Prior to answering it, on behalf of the member for Jandakot, I welcome
the year 6 students from St John Bosco College and their teacher, Kalinda
Knight. I also welcome the students from Carcoola Primary School, whom I met at
lunch a few moments ago.
The government has been committed to
ensuring that we secure more work for Western Australians on major projects
such as the Matagarup Bridge, which was, of course, languishing in a workshop
somewhere in Malaysia—a couple of pieces of metal on a fabrication
floor in Malaysia—under the last government. Now we can see that it has
been built by Western Australians. It looks magnificent over the river. We
brought that project back to Western Australia and had it built here using Western
Australian firm, Civmec. Obviously, we have ensured that we take steps to
ensure that Western Australian people—bricklayers, plumbers and
electricians—are employed and we do not fast-track occupations of that
nature into Western Australia when people here are unemployed. On top of that,
we introduced our Western Australian Jobs Bill, which came into operation in
October. It means that companies or businesses bidding for government work need
to submit a local participation plan outlining apprenticeships, traineeships,
local content and the like.
Since October, 46 projects have
required local participation plans. The percentage of Western Australian work
on those projects is at more than 90 per cent. That means that Western Australian
businesses and Western Australian suppliers
are securing more than 90 per cent of the work here in our state. Under these
participation plans, 7 624 local jobs have been created and we are
ensuring that small businesses in the regions in particular have help in
tendering, with $300 000 of support in grants announced in the last month. We
have also put staff into development commissions to support those sorts of
initiatives to ensure that the actions as a result of the Western Australian
Jobs Act support Western Australian regional small and medium–sized
enterprises.
Further news out of this 90 per
cent local content is that 340 apprenticeships and traineeships have been
created as part of this work for Western Australians—340
apprenticeships and traineeships across the state. That contrasts, of course,
with what occurred under the last government when it put up TAFE fees by 500 per
cent. When the Leader of the Opposition was in government, TAFE fees for
important trades went up 500 per cent; there was a 500 per cent increase for Western
Australians wishing to attend TAFE. Of course, we froze fees, as opposed to the
500 per cent increases by the Liberal Party. We saw a dramatic cut in the
number of people undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships under the last
government, which is another thing the Liberal Party in particular should
apologise for. But something this government is focused on is local apprenticeships,
local traineeships and local jobs.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.