❓ The Treasurer defends the government's jobs growth target of 1.6% against criticism, highlighting past fiscal mismanagement by the opposition. Heated debate ensues, including a withdrawn remark and Speaker intervention.
AnsweredQoN 75Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLAN FOR JOBS
75. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question.
Jobs growth under the former government was 1.9 per cent over the life of the
government, compared with the forecast and aspiration of this government of 1.6
per cent through to 2024. Is the Premier
correct that his plan is truly aspirational when Treasury has already forecast
much higher jobs growth; and can the Treasurer confirm that his jobs
growth of just 1.6 per cent is either an aspirational or an ambitious target?
75. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question.
Jobs growth under the former government was 1.9 per cent over the life of the
government, compared with the forecast and aspiration of this government of 1.6
per cent through to 2024. Is the Premier
correct that his plan is truly aspirational when Treasury has already forecast
much higher jobs growth; and can the Treasurer confirm that his jobs
growth of just 1.6 per cent is either an aspirational or an ambitious target?
AnswerView source ↗
No, and our forecast jobs growth is
based on a range of factors that have not changed since the Leader of the
Opposition was in government. We have not changed how we assess these things
and go about doing it. Is it going to be aspirational or real? I guess we will
find out come 2023, shadow Treasurer, what we have achieved. We are keen to
achieve this. This is our focus.
I do not understand why the shadow
Treasurer is so cranky about this. I find this odd. I actually had cause to
reflect when the Premier got that question from the Leader of the Opposition
around, ''How dare you set targets, government.'' I was thinking
back to what the closest targets I could remember were under the former
government before everything unravelled in its second term. I can remember the
then Premier, Colin Barnett, saying he will not have net debt over $20 billion.
I remember that target. I also remember very clearly in 2013 how everything
that they were committed to was fully funded and fully costed. As we now know,
nothing was fully funded and nothing was fully costed. What happened to that
$20 billion? It rapidly doubled and became $41 billion. We are setting targets
so that we can measure ourselves.
Dr M.D. Nahan : How about not
selling assets!
Mr B.S. WYATT : That is
because you could not get anything through the Parliament, you dope!
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I call you to
order for the first time!
Mr B.S. WYATT : We are setting a target for ourselves
and trying to achieve what I think are good outcomes across this space.
Withdrawal of Remark
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Mr
Speaker, I believe the Treasurer called our leader a word that should not be
used, and I ask him to withdraw it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Can you tell us what the word was?
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : He called our leader a ''dope'',
and I ask him to withdraw.
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker,
if I said anything that my friends on the other side find offensive, I certainly
withdraw. But I think the thing they are offended the most about is their
record in driving the state into the only recession we have on record, and the
fact that we have turned around —
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Mr Speaker!
The SPEAKER : Are you asking whether ''dope''
—
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
I do not think it was a disorderly remark, but I do not want
everyone calling ''dope'' across the chamber.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am trying to get the debate going. If
we are going to pick up on every little word, we will be here for a long time
and we will not get all the questions done that we want. I did not think it was
disorderly the way it was used, so that is my ruling on that case. It is not
necessarily when that word is used in other contexts, the same as yesterday,
when, in the context that that word was used, I thought it was unparliamentary,
whereas other times it has been used, it has not been.
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker, I do not want my friends on
the other side of the house to be upset and mortified, so I withdraw if that
makes them happy.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr B.S. WYATT : Coming back to the issues at play, I am
pleased to say that rather than the economy losing 17 000 jobs a year, we are
now creating about 18 000 jobs a year. That is a good start. The Premier and
the government has set a strong target. Whether we achieve it will be assessed
come 2023. I think Western Australians would be very, very pleased that our
government has set itself targets, and we are doing all we can to achieve them.
based on a range of factors that have not changed since the Leader of the
Opposition was in government. We have not changed how we assess these things
and go about doing it. Is it going to be aspirational or real? I guess we will
find out come 2023, shadow Treasurer, what we have achieved. We are keen to
achieve this. This is our focus.
I do not understand why the shadow
Treasurer is so cranky about this. I find this odd. I actually had cause to
reflect when the Premier got that question from the Leader of the Opposition
around, ''How dare you set targets, government.'' I was thinking
back to what the closest targets I could remember were under the former
government before everything unravelled in its second term. I can remember the
then Premier, Colin Barnett, saying he will not have net debt over $20 billion.
I remember that target. I also remember very clearly in 2013 how everything
that they were committed to was fully funded and fully costed. As we now know,
nothing was fully funded and nothing was fully costed. What happened to that
$20 billion? It rapidly doubled and became $41 billion. We are setting targets
so that we can measure ourselves.
Dr M.D. Nahan : How about not
selling assets!
Mr B.S. WYATT : That is
because you could not get anything through the Parliament, you dope!
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I call you to
order for the first time!
Mr B.S. WYATT : We are setting a target for ourselves
and trying to achieve what I think are good outcomes across this space.
Withdrawal of Remark
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Mr
Speaker, I believe the Treasurer called our leader a word that should not be
used, and I ask him to withdraw it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Can you tell us what the word was?
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : He called our leader a ''dope'',
and I ask him to withdraw.
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker,
if I said anything that my friends on the other side find offensive, I certainly
withdraw. But I think the thing they are offended the most about is their
record in driving the state into the only recession we have on record, and the
fact that we have turned around —
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Mr Speaker!
The SPEAKER : Are you asking whether ''dope''
—
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
I do not think it was a disorderly remark, but I do not want
everyone calling ''dope'' across the chamber.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am trying to get the debate going. If
we are going to pick up on every little word, we will be here for a long time
and we will not get all the questions done that we want. I did not think it was
disorderly the way it was used, so that is my ruling on that case. It is not
necessarily when that word is used in other contexts, the same as yesterday,
when, in the context that that word was used, I thought it was unparliamentary,
whereas other times it has been used, it has not been.
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr Speaker, I do not want my friends on
the other side of the house to be upset and mortified, so I withdraw if that
makes them happy.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr B.S. WYATT : Coming back to the issues at play, I am
pleased to say that rather than the economy losing 17 000 jobs a year, we are
now creating about 18 000 jobs a year. That is a good start. The Premier and
the government has set a strong target. Whether we achieve it will be assessed
come 2023. I think Western Australians would be very, very pleased that our
government has set itself targets, and we are doing all we can to achieve them.
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