❓ Premier Cook discusses TAFE's role in clean energy workforce development and criticises the Liberal Party's stance on clean energy, skills, and migration, particularly highlighting Andrew Hastie's views. He challenges the Leader of the Opposition to condemn Hastie's position.
AnsweredQoN 521Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE—Clean energy workforce
521. Mr Stephen Pratt to
the Premier:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to diversifying the Western Australian economy so
that it remains the strongest in the nation.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on how the
TAFE sector will help deliver the clean energy workforce that Western Australia
needs?
(2) Is the Premier aware of anyone who does not
support building a strong Western Australian workforce?
521. Mr Stephen Pratt to
the Premier:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to diversifying the Western Australian economy so
that it remains the strongest in the nation.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on how the
TAFE sector will help deliver the clean energy workforce that Western Australia
needs?
(2) Is the Premier aware of anyone who does not
support building a strong Western Australian workforce?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for the
question. It has been a joy to share some of the great things happening across
the TAFE sector in Parliament this week. This side of the chamber is deeply
cognisant of the role that skills have in reaching our potential as a state. We
want WA to be the place to get skilled, upskilled or reskilled and investment
in our TAFE infrastructure, and free and low-fee TAFE courses is making that
happen. We want WA to be the best place in the world to get a quality job, and
through TAFE we can build homegrown skills in defence, health, construction and
more. Another area in which we can create a workforce is the energy sector and
because of our advantage in TAFE and renewables, WA is the location for the new
$70.5 million Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence. It will train
the workers we need to deliver the $200 billion pipeline of renewable energy
projects proposed for WA. Such is the quantum of work ahead of us, we will also
require sensible intakes of skilled migrants. It is at this confluence of
policies that the Liberal Party gets a little unstuck, because the words "clean
energy" and "skills and migration" are pretty much triggers for
mutiny amongst the Liberal Party. Nowhere is this more evident than the civil war
being waged by the federal member for Canning, Andrew Hastie.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am
calling you for the first time. There is no need for you to be interjecting.
Mr Roger Cook: Mr Hastie spectacularly quit the Liberal
front bench in recent weeks. It is a completely familiar scene; this is how to
undermine a leader. They are fighting amongst themselves about climate change
and migration. Amusingly, Mr Hastie claims to be about putting Australia first.
He also claims to support local manufacturing, yet
he holds the incongruous stance of opposing policies that will help us make
more things here. The fact is that he is anti-Western Australian. Where
does the Leader of the Liberal Party stand on this matter? Has he condemned Mr
Hastie's stance? In fact, I will offer up a historic first for this state. The
Leader of the Opposition can come with me after question time, stand on the
front steps of Parliament House and together we can condemn Andrew Hastie for
his debate of division—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, have you
finished? Thank you.
Mr Roger Cook: Will the Leader of the Opposition
condemn Andrew Hastie for his campaign of division and hatred in the community,
his anti-migrant policies, his anti-new Australian and Western Australian
policies and the people who are bringing the skills into this state?
I was at a Diwali festival
the other day. This is a great time of the year. I was on a stage with the
Leader of the Opposition. He talked about the role that migrants have played as
part of this great story of Western Australia. The question remains: Will he
back his rhetoric that he uses with cultural groups in the Western Australian
community by condemning Andrew Hastie and the work that he is doing to
undermine the harmony and the multicultural nature of our community with his anti-immigration,
anti-migrant stance? The Leader of the Opposition cannot have it both ways. He cannot
do cutesy social media stories with Andrew Hastie one day and then not condemn
him the next day for his policies, which the Leader of the Opposition says he does
not agree with. The Leader of the Opposition has an opportunity, particularly
in the week when we are—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition! Attorney
General! Thank you.
Mr Roger Cook: We on this side stand by our migrant
community. We stand by the multicultural nature that it brings to our state. We
stand by the idea that people can come to Western Australia, contribute to our
economy, contribute to our culture and contribute to our workforce. The Leader
of the Opposition needs to make it clear—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, I am calling
you for the first time. You do not need to continue to repeat yourself. Carry
on, Premier.
Mr Roger Cook: Will the Leader of the Opposition join
me in condemning Andrew Hastie and his campaign of division and hatred, and
will the Leader of the Opposition stand up for new migrants in Western
Australia and the skills that they bring to our economy and the boost that they
are providing our community?
question. It has been a joy to share some of the great things happening across
the TAFE sector in Parliament this week. This side of the chamber is deeply
cognisant of the role that skills have in reaching our potential as a state. We
want WA to be the place to get skilled, upskilled or reskilled and investment
in our TAFE infrastructure, and free and low-fee TAFE courses is making that
happen. We want WA to be the best place in the world to get a quality job, and
through TAFE we can build homegrown skills in defence, health, construction and
more. Another area in which we can create a workforce is the energy sector and
because of our advantage in TAFE and renewables, WA is the location for the new
$70.5 million Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence. It will train
the workers we need to deliver the $200 billion pipeline of renewable energy
projects proposed for WA. Such is the quantum of work ahead of us, we will also
require sensible intakes of skilled migrants. It is at this confluence of
policies that the Liberal Party gets a little unstuck, because the words "clean
energy" and "skills and migration" are pretty much triggers for
mutiny amongst the Liberal Party. Nowhere is this more evident than the civil war
being waged by the federal member for Canning, Andrew Hastie.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am
calling you for the first time. There is no need for you to be interjecting.
Mr Roger Cook: Mr Hastie spectacularly quit the Liberal
front bench in recent weeks. It is a completely familiar scene; this is how to
undermine a leader. They are fighting amongst themselves about climate change
and migration. Amusingly, Mr Hastie claims to be about putting Australia first.
He also claims to support local manufacturing, yet
he holds the incongruous stance of opposing policies that will help us make
more things here. The fact is that he is anti-Western Australian. Where
does the Leader of the Liberal Party stand on this matter? Has he condemned Mr
Hastie's stance? In fact, I will offer up a historic first for this state. The
Leader of the Opposition can come with me after question time, stand on the
front steps of Parliament House and together we can condemn Andrew Hastie for
his debate of division—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, have you
finished? Thank you.
Mr Roger Cook: Will the Leader of the Opposition
condemn Andrew Hastie for his campaign of division and hatred in the community,
his anti-migrant policies, his anti-new Australian and Western Australian
policies and the people who are bringing the skills into this state?
I was at a Diwali festival
the other day. This is a great time of the year. I was on a stage with the
Leader of the Opposition. He talked about the role that migrants have played as
part of this great story of Western Australia. The question remains: Will he
back his rhetoric that he uses with cultural groups in the Western Australian
community by condemning Andrew Hastie and the work that he is doing to
undermine the harmony and the multicultural nature of our community with his anti-immigration,
anti-migrant stance? The Leader of the Opposition cannot have it both ways. He cannot
do cutesy social media stories with Andrew Hastie one day and then not condemn
him the next day for his policies, which the Leader of the Opposition says he does
not agree with. The Leader of the Opposition has an opportunity, particularly
in the week when we are—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition! Attorney
General! Thank you.
Mr Roger Cook: We on this side stand by our migrant
community. We stand by the multicultural nature that it brings to our state. We
stand by the idea that people can come to Western Australia, contribute to our
economy, contribute to our culture and contribute to our workforce. The Leader
of the Opposition needs to make it clear—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, I am calling
you for the first time. You do not need to continue to repeat yourself. Carry
on, Premier.
Mr Roger Cook: Will the Leader of the Opposition join
me in condemning Andrew Hastie and his campaign of division and hatred, and
will the Leader of the Opposition stand up for new migrants in Western
Australia and the skills that they bring to our economy and the boost that they
are providing our community?
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