❓ Mr. Aubrey questions the Treasurer on the Cook Labor government's job creation commitment. The Treasurer responds by highlighting job creation figures, training investments, and economic policies, while criticizing the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 644Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
JOBS — GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT
644. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to creating local jobs for Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's commitment to creating 125 000 new jobs by 2026?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this
government's record of creating jobs and growing the economy compares with the Liberals and Nationals WA?
644. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to creating local jobs for Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's commitment to creating 125 000 new jobs by 2026?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this
government's record of creating jobs and growing the economy compares with the Liberals and Nationals WA?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for that question. In the lead-up to the 2017 election, we
made some very strong commitments to the community—to invest in our
young people to support training in Western Australia and to create WA jobs.
That was the strong focus. It was actually the core of our commitment to the Western Australian community. We set some targets,
members. Remember what happened under members opposite when they were
trying to build a bridge in Malaysia in a wind turbine manufacturing yard? We
committed to bolstering our capacity in Western Australia in, of course, both
training and jobs. We set forward a target of 50 000 new jobs in our first term,
and we smashed that target, even during COVID, with over 63 000 jobs. Then we
set a target of 125 000 jobs by 2026. Since that time, 222 000 jobs have been
created. All up, since 2017, 314 000 jobs have been created in this state.
As I said, it is both jobs and
training opportunities. Remember that members opposite increased the cost of
training our young people by over 500 per cent. We have now got fee-free
courses at our TAFEs. We have got a record number of young people involved in
training in Western Australia. We have better support for training and better
support for jobs.
The unemployment data released
today again shows that WA's unemployment rate has been below four per cent
for 33 of the past 34 months. That is the second-longest period of low
unemployment in the 46 years of Australian
Bureau of Statistics data collection. There has been a rise in the number of
full-time jobs, and our unemployment rate is still the equal lowest of
the nation. When it comes to full-time jobs, full-time
employment reached a new record, with 1.124 million people now working
full-time in this state.
This is part of our plan to
continue to strengthen the WA economy. As outlined by the Premier today in relation to the domestic gas reservation policy, it
is all about creating jobs into the future and having that reservation
policy and supporting downstream jobs and minerals processing, but also being
able to secure gas in WA to continually drive industry in the state. Wherever
one looks—whether it is our record expenditure on economic
infrastructure, whether it is our record numbers and training, whether it is
policies like supporting industrial estates, whether it is supporting future
gas supply for industry, whether it is supporting the creative industries,
Minister for Culture and the Arts, or whether it is all the things we are doing in tourism to support Western Australians
getting jobs and opportunities in the tourism industry —we will
continue to create jobs in Western Australia.
Of course, we have an opposition—we
have seen it today—that is negative, negative, negative. It has no
policies. It just wants to scare Western Australians from day to day. Members
opposite jump on any scare campaign, even if there is no truth to the matter.
They are negative and they scare Western Australians, whereas we are putting
forward a positive view of the future, with job creation and opportunities for Western
Australians, and continuing to make sure that Western Australia is the best
place to live.
thank the member for that question. In the lead-up to the 2017 election, we
made some very strong commitments to the community—to invest in our
young people to support training in Western Australia and to create WA jobs.
That was the strong focus. It was actually the core of our commitment to the Western Australian community. We set some targets,
members. Remember what happened under members opposite when they were
trying to build a bridge in Malaysia in a wind turbine manufacturing yard? We
committed to bolstering our capacity in Western Australia in, of course, both
training and jobs. We set forward a target of 50 000 new jobs in our first term,
and we smashed that target, even during COVID, with over 63 000 jobs. Then we
set a target of 125 000 jobs by 2026. Since that time, 222 000 jobs have been
created. All up, since 2017, 314 000 jobs have been created in this state.
As I said, it is both jobs and
training opportunities. Remember that members opposite increased the cost of
training our young people by over 500 per cent. We have now got fee-free
courses at our TAFEs. We have got a record number of young people involved in
training in Western Australia. We have better support for training and better
support for jobs.
The unemployment data released
today again shows that WA's unemployment rate has been below four per cent
for 33 of the past 34 months. That is the second-longest period of low
unemployment in the 46 years of Australian
Bureau of Statistics data collection. There has been a rise in the number of
full-time jobs, and our unemployment rate is still the equal lowest of
the nation. When it comes to full-time jobs, full-time
employment reached a new record, with 1.124 million people now working
full-time in this state.
This is part of our plan to
continue to strengthen the WA economy. As outlined by the Premier today in relation to the domestic gas reservation policy, it
is all about creating jobs into the future and having that reservation
policy and supporting downstream jobs and minerals processing, but also being
able to secure gas in WA to continually drive industry in the state. Wherever
one looks—whether it is our record expenditure on economic
infrastructure, whether it is our record numbers and training, whether it is
policies like supporting industrial estates, whether it is supporting future
gas supply for industry, whether it is supporting the creative industries,
Minister for Culture and the Arts, or whether it is all the things we are doing in tourism to support Western Australians
getting jobs and opportunities in the tourism industry —we will
continue to create jobs in Western Australia.
Of course, we have an opposition—we
have seen it today—that is negative, negative, negative. It has no
policies. It just wants to scare Western Australians from day to day. Members
opposite jump on any scare campaign, even if there is no truth to the matter.
They are negative and they scare Western Australians, whereas we are putting
forward a positive view of the future, with job creation and opportunities for Western
Australians, and continuing to make sure that Western Australia is the best
place to live.
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