❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the Premier about abandoning the 150,000 jobs target during COVID-19. The Premier defends the government's economic management, highlighting job creation and comparing WA's performance favourably to other states.
AnsweredQoN 404Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
ECONOMIC RECOVERY — JOBS
404. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Did the Premier quietly abandon his 150 000 jobs target during the height of
the COVID-19 crisis because he was trying to avoid public scrutiny over his
abject failure to achieve anything near his previous target pre-COVID?
ECONOMIC RECOVERY — JOBS
404. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Did the Premier quietly abandon his 150 000 jobs target during the height of
the COVID-19 crisis because he was trying to avoid public scrutiny over his
abject failure to achieve anything near his previous target pre-COVID?
AnswerView source ↗
I will explain it again. We put out
a media statement in which we said the Premier's priorities, as they
were determined, were being suspended because of COVID. I think that was
entirely reasonable. The promise we took to the election was for 50 000 new
jobs in the first term. Prior to COVID, we secured an increase of 72 000 jobs
in this term—22 000 more. It is pretty simple maths—22 000
more. The Premier's priorities aspiration was for 150 000 jobs by 2023.
That was the aspiration in the Premier's priorities, and, frankly, at
the rate we are going, we are going to exceed that as well. Obviously, we did
not control the arrival of COVID, but as a state we have managed it as best we
can to ensure that we protect the health of the people of Western Australia and
get people back to work. Other states are in a far direr position than WA in
both a health sense and a workplace sense in getting people back to work. Other
states are in a far direr position. Our fundamentals are stronger than those in
other states. As a state government, we ensured that the mining industry kept
operating. We ensured that large parts of the economy kept operating. There
were significant moves across the country to close that all down like New Zealand
did. We objected to that. I think the balance we got is pretty right—very
strong measures to deal with the health of our citizens, very strong measures
to ensure that infected people do not come here from elsewhere, very strong
measures to preserve personal protective equipment and to free up space in our
hospitals and the like. But, now, due to our low rates of infection—we
have not had community infection since mid-April—the opportunity is
there, within our borders, to further open up the economy and that is exactly
what we are doing.
a media statement in which we said the Premier's priorities, as they
were determined, were being suspended because of COVID. I think that was
entirely reasonable. The promise we took to the election was for 50 000 new
jobs in the first term. Prior to COVID, we secured an increase of 72 000 jobs
in this term—22 000 more. It is pretty simple maths—22 000
more. The Premier's priorities aspiration was for 150 000 jobs by 2023.
That was the aspiration in the Premier's priorities, and, frankly, at
the rate we are going, we are going to exceed that as well. Obviously, we did
not control the arrival of COVID, but as a state we have managed it as best we
can to ensure that we protect the health of the people of Western Australia and
get people back to work. Other states are in a far direr position than WA in
both a health sense and a workplace sense in getting people back to work. Other
states are in a far direr position. Our fundamentals are stronger than those in
other states. As a state government, we ensured that the mining industry kept
operating. We ensured that large parts of the economy kept operating. There
were significant moves across the country to close that all down like New Zealand
did. We objected to that. I think the balance we got is pretty right—very
strong measures to deal with the health of our citizens, very strong measures
to ensure that infected people do not come here from elsewhere, very strong
measures to preserve personal protective equipment and to free up space in our
hospitals and the like. But, now, due to our low rates of infection—we
have not had community infection since mid-April—the opportunity is
there, within our borders, to further open up the economy and that is exactly
what we are doing.
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