❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the Premier about WA's wage decline and the abandonment of the jobs target, seeking details on the economic recovery plan. The Premier defends the government's handling of the crisis, highlighting WA's relative success in employment and wages compared to other states.
AnsweredQoN 403Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
ECONOMIC RECOVERY — JOBS
403. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I refer to Australian Bureau of
Statistics' figures released today, highlighting that Western Australia's
total wages collapsed by 10.7 per cent
between 14 March and 30 May—the worst in the nation. Given that the
Premier abandoned his 150 000 jobs target during the height of the
COVID-19 crisis, when will he reveal his economic recovery plan and announce
his new jobs target?
ECONOMIC RECOVERY — JOBS
403. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I refer to Australian Bureau of
Statistics' figures released today, highlighting that Western Australia's
total wages collapsed by 10.7 per cent
between 14 March and 30 May—the worst in the nation. Given that the
Premier abandoned his 150 000 jobs target during the height of the
COVID-19 crisis, when will he reveal his economic recovery plan and announce
his new jobs target?
AnswerView source ↗
The COVID-19 period has been very
damaging for all states and all countries around the world in terms of employment, wages growth, income and business
activity. Western Australia is not immune to that. Obviously, it is something that we did not predict and no-one knew
would occur, but we have managed it as best as we can to ensure that the
health of our citizens has been kept safe and to ensure that within the border
arrangements we put in place we could open the economy as much as possible. The
last employment figures we had prior to COVID-19 hitting was that 72 000 new jobs had been created in Western
Australia since the election of this government. That exceeded the
target we took to the election by 22 000, and it was exceeded at least a year
out from the end of this term. The economy and the figures we were getting were
showing that it was growing very significantly and very quickly. They were the figures before COVID hit, but since
that time there has been some dramatic impact on unemployment and also
on wages.
There are two points to note about
this: Western Australia has had the lowest fall in unemployment of all states—therefore,
the number of people unemployed in Western Australia has fallen the least of
any of the states in Australia—and although there has been some impact
on wages, the average wage rate in Western Australia is the highest in the
country. Average weekly earnings in Western Australia still remain the highest
in the country by a significant amount. There are a range of reasons why that
occurred. Some of the analysis I have seen indicates that we have fewer people
on JobKeeper payments because we have kept more people employed. That may have
had an impact on wage rates because of some complex analysis, but I think it
turns on the fact that some people on JobKeeper are getting more money now than
when they were working. That has impacted the eastern states in a different way
from Western Australia.
The key to all this is to ensure
that as soon as we can, in a safe way, we get economic activity back. That is
what we are doing. When we compare Western Australia with any other state in
Australia, we have more people back in the
workforce and more people back employed and in the workplace. Weeks and weeks
ago, we encouraged people to go back to work. Other states are not doing
that yet. Other states are still mucking around with how many people go on
trains and buses to go into the workplace. Other states are closing down
schools because of infection rates. Western Australia, at this point in time,
is not in that position, and we are not in that position because the people of the state have embraced the safety measures
that we have put in place. The people of the state have done the right thing in terms of being COVID safe and we have had border arrangements to
prevent infection coming into our state. I think it has worked well for our
state.
damaging for all states and all countries around the world in terms of employment, wages growth, income and business
activity. Western Australia is not immune to that. Obviously, it is something that we did not predict and no-one knew
would occur, but we have managed it as best as we can to ensure that the
health of our citizens has been kept safe and to ensure that within the border
arrangements we put in place we could open the economy as much as possible. The
last employment figures we had prior to COVID-19 hitting was that 72 000 new jobs had been created in Western
Australia since the election of this government. That exceeded the
target we took to the election by 22 000, and it was exceeded at least a year
out from the end of this term. The economy and the figures we were getting were
showing that it was growing very significantly and very quickly. They were the figures before COVID hit, but since
that time there has been some dramatic impact on unemployment and also
on wages.
There are two points to note about
this: Western Australia has had the lowest fall in unemployment of all states—therefore,
the number of people unemployed in Western Australia has fallen the least of
any of the states in Australia—and although there has been some impact
on wages, the average wage rate in Western Australia is the highest in the
country. Average weekly earnings in Western Australia still remain the highest
in the country by a significant amount. There are a range of reasons why that
occurred. Some of the analysis I have seen indicates that we have fewer people
on JobKeeper payments because we have kept more people employed. That may have
had an impact on wage rates because of some complex analysis, but I think it
turns on the fact that some people on JobKeeper are getting more money now than
when they were working. That has impacted the eastern states in a different way
from Western Australia.
The key to all this is to ensure
that as soon as we can, in a safe way, we get economic activity back. That is
what we are doing. When we compare Western Australia with any other state in
Australia, we have more people back in the
workforce and more people back employed and in the workplace. Weeks and weeks
ago, we encouraged people to go back to work. Other states are not doing
that yet. Other states are still mucking around with how many people go on
trains and buses to go into the workplace. Other states are closing down
schools because of infection rates. Western Australia, at this point in time,
is not in that position, and we are not in that position because the people of the state have embraced the safety measures
that we have put in place. The people of the state have done the right thing in terms of being COVID safe and we have had border arrangements to
prevent infection coming into our state. I think it has worked well for our
state.
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