❓ Mr. Marmion questions the Premier about unemployment and migration changes affecting the WA School of Mines. The Premier defends the changes, stating they prioritize occupations with actual shortages in WA.
AnsweredQoN 98Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MIGRATION — WA
SCHOOL OF MINES — INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
98. Mr W.R. MARMION to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given that the Premier has delivered the highest number of unemployed people in
Western Australia's history, will he immediately commit to reversing
his ill-conceived migration changes so that jobs can return to the WA School of
Mines?
SCHOOL OF MINES — INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
98. Mr W.R. MARMION to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given that the Premier has delivered the highest number of unemployed people in
Western Australia's history, will he immediately commit to reversing
his ill-conceived migration changes so that jobs can return to the WA School of
Mines?
AnswerView source ↗
I think the member is confusing
things. We changed the list of priority occupations so that we were not saying
to the federal government, ''Let's import bricklayers —
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Listen. When
members opposite were in office they had a priority list and they went to the
federal government saying, ''These are the people we want you to bring
in, because we've got skill shortages.'' The people on that list
included bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, teachers and a bunch of
occupations like that.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, you are on three.
Mr M. McGOWAN : When we came
to office, we said, ''We have a whole bunch of people in Western Australia
with those qualifications who are looking for jobs. They are not the priority
occupations we should be advocating for to the commonwealth government.''
We changed the list, and we said, ''Let's go for those
occupations that we actually have shortages of.'' So when it comes to
medical professionals, in particular specialist doctors and occupations like
that, that is the list that we now send to the commonwealth government. If
members opposite want to advocate to the commonwealth government once again
that somehow we have a shortage of bricklayers and electricians in Western Australia,
go ahead. But I think Western Australians will agree with this government that
we need to calibrate our demand for occupations from overseas to the needs we
actually have.
things. We changed the list of priority occupations so that we were not saying
to the federal government, ''Let's import bricklayers —
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Listen. When
members opposite were in office they had a priority list and they went to the
federal government saying, ''These are the people we want you to bring
in, because we've got skill shortages.'' The people on that list
included bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, teachers and a bunch of
occupations like that.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, you are on three.
Mr M. McGOWAN : When we came
to office, we said, ''We have a whole bunch of people in Western Australia
with those qualifications who are looking for jobs. They are not the priority
occupations we should be advocating for to the commonwealth government.''
We changed the list, and we said, ''Let's go for those
occupations that we actually have shortages of.'' So when it comes to
medical professionals, in particular specialist doctors and occupations like
that, that is the list that we now send to the commonwealth government. If
members opposite want to advocate to the commonwealth government once again
that somehow we have a shortage of bricklayers and electricians in Western Australia,
go ahead. But I think Western Australians will agree with this government that
we need to calibrate our demand for occupations from overseas to the needs we
actually have.
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