❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the Treasurer on whether he discussed the McGowan government's job creation target with Bill Shorten, given concerns about the impact of federal Labor's living wage policy. The Treasurer defends the government's job creation record and criticises the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 179Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIVING WAGE PROPOSAL — FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
179. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Treasurer
I have a supplementary question. Thank you for the response,
Treasurer. Given the joint cabinet meeting today, did the Treasurer apprise
Bill Shorten of the McGowan government's plan to create 150 000 jobs
and the threat to achieving that goal Bill Shorten's policy will have
should he be successful in May?
179. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Treasurer
I have a supplementary question. Thank you for the response,
Treasurer. Given the joint cabinet meeting today, did the Treasurer apprise
Bill Shorten of the McGowan government's plan to create 150 000 jobs
and the threat to achieving that goal Bill Shorten's policy will have
should he be successful in May?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the supplementary question.
We did talk about the target this government has set of 150 000
jobs. I note that yesterday in the Leader of the Opposition's questions,
his first question said that it would be too hard to achieve and in his
supplementary question, he said it would be too easy to achieve. The inability
of the Leader of the Opposition to articulate a clear position on 150 000 jobs
suggests to me that perhaps we have got the figure right. Wherever I go, I get
critiqued that it is either too easy or too hard. But we have set a target.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I do not know why people in this
chamber find it so infuriating that the government has set itself a clear and
accountable target for job creation. What is going on in job creation is that
jobs are actually being created. We are creating jobs. Yes, the unemployment
rate is a product mainly of the participation rate, to be honest, but we are
creating jobs. About 33 000 jobs have been created since we came to government.
I remind people in this house: how many jobs do members think were created
between March 2013 and March 2017? At the end of that four-year period there
were 673 fewer jobs in the WA economy. During the entire second term of the
former Liberal government not only did it not create one job, but also it lost
637 jobs out of the sector. I will not be critiqued when the government sets a target
of job creation and is well on the way to achieving it.
We did talk about the target this government has set of 150 000
jobs. I note that yesterday in the Leader of the Opposition's questions,
his first question said that it would be too hard to achieve and in his
supplementary question, he said it would be too easy to achieve. The inability
of the Leader of the Opposition to articulate a clear position on 150 000 jobs
suggests to me that perhaps we have got the figure right. Wherever I go, I get
critiqued that it is either too easy or too hard. But we have set a target.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I do not know why people in this
chamber find it so infuriating that the government has set itself a clear and
accountable target for job creation. What is going on in job creation is that
jobs are actually being created. We are creating jobs. Yes, the unemployment
rate is a product mainly of the participation rate, to be honest, but we are
creating jobs. About 33 000 jobs have been created since we came to government.
I remind people in this house: how many jobs do members think were created
between March 2013 and March 2017? At the end of that four-year period there
were 673 fewer jobs in the WA economy. During the entire second term of the
former Liberal government not only did it not create one job, but also it lost
637 jobs out of the sector. I will not be critiqued when the government sets a target
of job creation and is well on the way to achieving it.
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