❓ Mr Scaife questions the Premier on WA's job creation record and criticises the federal government's decision to award the Collins-class submarine full-cycle docking contract to South Australia, arguing it undermines WA's efforts and is not in the national interest.
AnsweredQoN 542Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
JOBS — COLLINS-CLASS SUBMARINE FULL-CYCLE DOCKING
CONTRACT
542. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented efforts in creating more jobs for Western Australians.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on today's
labour force figures and what they show about this government's record when it comes to creating new jobs?
(2) Can the
Premier outline to the house how these efforts have been undermined by today's
decision of the federal Liberal–National
government to give the full-cycle docking contract of the Collins-class
submarines to South Australia?
CONTRACT
542. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented efforts in creating more jobs for Western Australians.
(1) Can the Premier update the house on today's
labour force figures and what they show about this government's record when it comes to creating new jobs?
(2) Can the
Premier outline to the house how these efforts have been undermined by today's
decision of the federal Liberal–National
government to give the full-cycle docking contract of the Collins-class
submarines to South Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Cockburn for the question. Today's labour force
figures show that there are more than 1.423 million Western Australians now in
work. That means, since coming to office in 2017, this government has created
over 120 000 new jobs in Western Australia. We have a strong investment policy in jobs and employment, and the economy. We have a
state that is free of COVID that is doing the best of any state in Australia
when it comes to these matters. In August, we saw more than 12 300 new jobs
created, an increase of 0.9 per cent and the strongest employment growth
in Australia. In contrast, employment fell nationally by 1.1 per cent, or
around 133 800 jobs, led by a massive decline in New South Wales. Therefore, Western
Australia, once again, is carrying the nation.
The
unemployment rate has stayed at an eight-year low of 4.6 per cent and our
participation rate has grown to 69 per cent, up from 68.5 per cent. If
our participation rate had stayed at 68.5 per cent, which it was last month, our unemployment rate today would be
3.8 per cent. We have the strongest participation rate in the country by a long, long way. That means more
people have confidence in getting a job and more p eople are in work in Western
Australia.
It is good news, Madam Speaker, but I
want to make a few points. We took to the 2017 election and the last election a strong plan for jobs and also
investment in defence manufacturing. We have made significant investments in the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson. We have provided
huge incentives into the TAFE system to train Western Australians for defence
jobs, in particular in South Metropolitan TAFE. We put forward to the federal
government a compelling business case for the Collins-class submarine full-cycle
docking to come to Western Australia. As part of the business case, we
demonstrated how it was in the national interest for this work to be undertaken
in Western Australia. That is why we are so disappointed
at today's decision by the Liberal–National government to give
the full-cycle docking contracts to South Australia.
I want to make a few more points. The
six Collins-class submarines are based in Western Australia. The crews are based here and live here. The industry
is here. The shipbuilding and repair industries are stronger here and
they are internationally competitive. The industrial capability, the workforce
capability, is immeasurably stronger in Western Australia than in South
Australia. Independent studies have shown the work
should be done here. The state has invested, over successive governments,
hundreds of millions, if not billions,
of dollars into the Henderson shipbuilding precinct. Today's decision
by the Liberals and Nationals is not a decision in the national
interest. Today, the Liberals and Nationals have turned their backs on Western Australia,
Western Australian businesses and Western Australian workers. This is a decision
that should not have been made. South Australia is already getting the
overwhelming majority of Defence work into their shipbuilding industry in Port Adelaide.
Clearly, the Collins-class submarines are based in Western Australia and the
work should be done at Henderson, six kilometres from where they are based. Western
Australians should not forget this decision today by the Liberals and
Nationals. They have let our great state down.
thank the member for Cockburn for the question. Today's labour force
figures show that there are more than 1.423 million Western Australians now in
work. That means, since coming to office in 2017, this government has created
over 120 000 new jobs in Western Australia. We have a strong investment policy in jobs and employment, and the economy. We have a
state that is free of COVID that is doing the best of any state in Australia
when it comes to these matters. In August, we saw more than 12 300 new jobs
created, an increase of 0.9 per cent and the strongest employment growth
in Australia. In contrast, employment fell nationally by 1.1 per cent, or
around 133 800 jobs, led by a massive decline in New South Wales. Therefore, Western
Australia, once again, is carrying the nation.
The
unemployment rate has stayed at an eight-year low of 4.6 per cent and our
participation rate has grown to 69 per cent, up from 68.5 per cent. If
our participation rate had stayed at 68.5 per cent, which it was last month, our unemployment rate today would be
3.8 per cent. We have the strongest participation rate in the country by a long, long way. That means more
people have confidence in getting a job and more p eople are in work in Western
Australia.
It is good news, Madam Speaker, but I
want to make a few points. We took to the 2017 election and the last election a strong plan for jobs and also
investment in defence manufacturing. We have made significant investments in the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson. We have provided
huge incentives into the TAFE system to train Western Australians for defence
jobs, in particular in South Metropolitan TAFE. We put forward to the federal
government a compelling business case for the Collins-class submarine full-cycle
docking to come to Western Australia. As part of the business case, we
demonstrated how it was in the national interest for this work to be undertaken
in Western Australia. That is why we are so disappointed
at today's decision by the Liberal–National government to give
the full-cycle docking contracts to South Australia.
I want to make a few more points. The
six Collins-class submarines are based in Western Australia. The crews are based here and live here. The industry
is here. The shipbuilding and repair industries are stronger here and
they are internationally competitive. The industrial capability, the workforce
capability, is immeasurably stronger in Western Australia than in South
Australia. Independent studies have shown the work
should be done here. The state has invested, over successive governments,
hundreds of millions, if not billions,
of dollars into the Henderson shipbuilding precinct. Today's decision
by the Liberals and Nationals is not a decision in the national
interest. Today, the Liberals and Nationals have turned their backs on Western Australia,
Western Australian businesses and Western Australian workers. This is a decision
that should not have been made. South Australia is already getting the
overwhelming majority of Defence work into their shipbuilding industry in Port Adelaide.
Clearly, the Collins-class submarines are based in Western Australia and the
work should be done at Henderson, six kilometres from where they are based. Western
Australians should not forget this decision today by the Liberals and
Nationals. They have let our great state down.
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