❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the growing income gap, social tensions, and protection of Australian industries in the context of free trade and globalisation. The government's response outlines the creation of cabinet subcommittees to address these issues.
AnsweredQoN 119Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
A recent report by the St Vincent de Paul organisation entitled “Two Australians - Addressing Inequality and Poverty” found the income gap between the wealthiest 20 per cent and poorest 20 per cent of Australians had grown by a fifth between 1982 and 1999 while economic globalisation over the same period had increased Australia’s net wealth by more than $830 billion. What measures does the Government intend to take to - (a) ensure that free trade does not continue to widen the gap between rich and poor; (b) ease resultant social tensions which have seen an increase in the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, youth suicide and the rate of violent and property-related crime; and (c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
(a) ensure that free trade does not continue to widen the gap between rich and poor; (b) ease resultant social tensions which have seen an increase in the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, youth suicide and the rate of violent and property-related crime; and (c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
(b) ease resultant social tensions which have seen an increase in the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, youth suicide and the rate of violent and property-related crime; and (c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
(c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
(a) ensure that free trade does not continue to widen the gap between rich and poor; (b) ease resultant social tensions which have seen an increase in the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, youth suicide and the rate of violent and property-related crime; and (c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
(b) ease resultant social tensions which have seen an increase in the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, youth suicide and the rate of violent and property-related crime; and (c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
(c) protect Australian industries and their workers from damaging competition from multinational corporations? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
Government is currently addressing many of the issues raised in the member’s question through the creation of four cabinet subcommittees that will focus on the economic development of the State, our environment, our social infrastructure and our regional areas. These subcommittees will operate within a framework of sustainable development principles. Part of the next phase of the work of these subcommittees will be to establish appropriate benchmarks and indicators to identify major changes in access to basic community infrastructure and services.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.