❓ Opposition Leader Kirkup questions the Premier on the indefinite deferral of jobs targets following the COVID-19 crisis. The Premier responds by highlighting WA's economic performance and recovery compared to other states.
AnsweredQoN 970Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
JOBS
970. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Why has the Premier indefinitely
deferred any jobs target following the COVID-19 crisis?
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Swan Hills, I
did not realise you were the Premier. I call you to order for the first time.
JOBS
970. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
Why has the Premier indefinitely
deferred any jobs target following the COVID-19 crisis?
Ms J.J. Shaw interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Swan Hills, I
did not realise you were the Premier. I call you to order for the first time.
AnswerView source ↗
Prior to answering that question, I firstly congratulate the
member for Dawesville on becoming the Leader of the Opposition. I also congratulate the member for Vasse on becoming the
Deputy Leader of the Opposition. I thank the members for Scarborough and
Nedlands for their service as both opposition leader and deputy opposition
leader.
I also acknowledge today—I
think we will do it again later—the member for Mirrabooka. I thank her
for her service in the Parliament
over the last 12 years. I also acknowledge the member for Bateman, who
announced his retirement this week. I expect that both members will be
making valedictory statements later today.
Considering that this was a bit of an unexpected sitting, I once
again thank all those members who are retiring. I do not know whether anyone
else will put their hand up. Are there any others? There are no other takers.
This is their last chance if they want to make a valedictory speech.
Mr Speaker, I also acknowledge you. I think we did this
before, but this is your last sitting day as Speaker of the Western Australian
Parliament.
Back in March and April this year, the world obviously
confronted the biggest economic crisis since 1929. The government had to make a
range of decisions and very rapidly make a range of changes in order to cope
with the situation we confronted. The cabinet, in particular the Minister for
Health and I, had to make a range of decisions very, very quickly. Clearly, we
were being advised at a national cabinet level that the country was potentially
facing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. We were also advised that
it would potentially become like a Great Depression. Obviously, we had to deal
with and basically reflect reality with some of the policies that the
government had in place. The Premier's priorities were aspirational
targets—I think I launched them last year—by 2023–24.
We moved away from that because, as a state, we were facing this extraordinary
economic cataclysm.
The reality is that since COVID hit earlier this year, we
have now recovered around 90 per cent of the jobs lost. We have created 63 000
more jobs than existed prior to our arrival in office. We are the only state
with an economy that did not go into recession.
The other states went into recession; Western Australia did not go into
recession. If we look at all the figures—retail, land sales, car
sales, payroll returns, housing construction and the like—Western Australia
is leading the nation. Our figures are outstanding considering what is
happening around the world. The reason they are outstanding is that we came up
with a unique Western Australian model. That model enabled us to keep COVID out
with hard borders. We allowed our international economy to continue to
flourish, particularly our trading economy; we did not shut it down, despite
the urging of some people around the country. Then we ensured that we got back
to a state of normalcy as quickly as possible within the hard borders. The
results are there for all to see. Nationally, our state is doing far better
than any other state.
I add that WA is the only state that did not go into deficit.
All the other states in the commonwealth went into deficits that are
eye-watering, but not Western Australia, and we managed to launch our $5.5 billion
recovery plan in July this year. I think Australians and Western Australians in
particular understand that the situation confronting us was potentially cataclysmic. The reality is that considering we are
now down at an unemployment rate of 6.6 per cent and we have the highest
participation rate in the country, this state is doing better than anywhere
else in the country and potentially better than anywhere else in the world.
member for Dawesville on becoming the Leader of the Opposition. I also congratulate the member for Vasse on becoming the
Deputy Leader of the Opposition. I thank the members for Scarborough and
Nedlands for their service as both opposition leader and deputy opposition
leader.
I also acknowledge today—I
think we will do it again later—the member for Mirrabooka. I thank her
for her service in the Parliament
over the last 12 years. I also acknowledge the member for Bateman, who
announced his retirement this week. I expect that both members will be
making valedictory statements later today.
Considering that this was a bit of an unexpected sitting, I once
again thank all those members who are retiring. I do not know whether anyone
else will put their hand up. Are there any others? There are no other takers.
This is their last chance if they want to make a valedictory speech.
Mr Speaker, I also acknowledge you. I think we did this
before, but this is your last sitting day as Speaker of the Western Australian
Parliament.
Back in March and April this year, the world obviously
confronted the biggest economic crisis since 1929. The government had to make a
range of decisions and very rapidly make a range of changes in order to cope
with the situation we confronted. The cabinet, in particular the Minister for
Health and I, had to make a range of decisions very, very quickly. Clearly, we
were being advised at a national cabinet level that the country was potentially
facing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. We were also advised that
it would potentially become like a Great Depression. Obviously, we had to deal
with and basically reflect reality with some of the policies that the
government had in place. The Premier's priorities were aspirational
targets—I think I launched them last year—by 2023–24.
We moved away from that because, as a state, we were facing this extraordinary
economic cataclysm.
The reality is that since COVID hit earlier this year, we
have now recovered around 90 per cent of the jobs lost. We have created 63 000
more jobs than existed prior to our arrival in office. We are the only state
with an economy that did not go into recession.
The other states went into recession; Western Australia did not go into
recession. If we look at all the figures—retail, land sales, car
sales, payroll returns, housing construction and the like—Western Australia
is leading the nation. Our figures are outstanding considering what is
happening around the world. The reason they are outstanding is that we came up
with a unique Western Australian model. That model enabled us to keep COVID out
with hard borders. We allowed our international economy to continue to
flourish, particularly our trading economy; we did not shut it down, despite
the urging of some people around the country. Then we ensured that we got back
to a state of normalcy as quickly as possible within the hard borders. The
results are there for all to see. Nationally, our state is doing far better
than any other state.
I add that WA is the only state that did not go into deficit.
All the other states in the commonwealth went into deficits that are
eye-watering, but not Western Australia, and we managed to launch our $5.5 billion
recovery plan in July this year. I think Australians and Western Australians in
particular understand that the situation confronting us was potentially cataclysmic. The reality is that considering we are
now down at an unemployment rate of 6.6 per cent and we have the highest
participation rate in the country, this state is doing better than anywhere
else in the country and potentially better than anywhere else in the world.
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