❓ Opposition Leader Nahan questions Premier McGowan on WA's unemployment rate, accusing him of failing on his own KPIs. McGowan deflects, highlighting job creation under his government and criticising the previous Liberal government's record.
AnsweredQoN 89Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLAN FOR JOBS — UNEMPLOYMENT
89. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given that the Premier is committed to measuring his performance by KPIs, as
witnessed by his plan yesterday, will he admit that he has failed on his own
KPI for the Western Australian unemployment rate or is having an employment rate
of 8.6 per cent acceptable to his government?
A member : Six point eight per
cent.
Dr M.D. NAHAN : Six point
eight per cent.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
89. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given that the Premier is committed to measuring his performance by KPIs, as
witnessed by his plan yesterday, will he admit that he has failed on his own
KPI for the Western Australian unemployment rate or is having an employment rate
of 8.6 per cent acceptable to his government?
A member : Six point eight per
cent.
Dr M.D. NAHAN : Six point
eight per cent.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
AnswerView source ↗
The Leader of the Opposition once
again—I do not know whether it is deliberate—is misleading the
Parliament by coming up with spurious figures in this place. As I said, 33 000
new jobs have been created under this government since coming to office.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That compares
with 25 000 jobs being lost in the last 18 months of the last government. We
have seen a huge improvement in business confidence in Western Australia.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : It could be
yours, member, if you do not keep quiet.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Members do not
have to trust just me that the last government failed when it comes to creating
employment. I want to quote one commentator on these issues who said this about
the last government.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time. I warned you twice.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I quote —
The community is clearly rattled by
the pace and impact of the post-mining boom downturn. Many have lost their
jobs; many more are worried their jobs could be next.
But the Premier is not listening. Not
to me, not to his Cabinet colleagues, not to his party room and certainly not
to the community.
That was from none other than Dean
Nalder, the member for Bateman, about the last government. When I talk about
the last government failing, I have as my authority the shadow Treasurer. I have
another one here. In October 2017, the member for Bassendean said that the
Liberal government had eight years without a plan. The member for Churchlands
replied across the chamber —
Yes,
but the people of Western Australia know that. The member is not telling us
anything we do not know.
My authorities for the uselessness
of the Liberal Party in office are the member for Bateman and the member for
Churchlands. However, we want to improve employment in Western Australia.
Dr M.D. Nahan : You're
failing.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Thank you.
This government put in place the Western Australian jobs law to ensure there
were more jobs out of projects in our state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We secured the
WA Industry Link. We secured the Albemarle project in Kemerton and saved 600
jobs via Cleveland–Cliffs in the member for Roe's electorate,
attacked by the opposition, but we have ensured that those jobs were preserved
in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : Member for Churchlands, I will not warn
you again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : We established
the local capability fund to help local small businesses and the priority
sector funding program to help WA companies develop opportunities in Asia. We
are creating Infrastructure WA. We are building Metronet. We have a record road
program across regional and metropolitan WA. We have just established direct
flights between Perth and Tokyo commencing on 1 September. We have the cruise
ships strategy and doubling the number of cruises into Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : You asked for
it.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No; you asked
me. I am going to keep telling you.
We have been bringing back
manufacturing to Western Australia. The Minister for Transport got the bridge
over the Swan River built here in Western Australia as opposed to being built
in Malaysia under you lot. Railcar manufacturing is coming back to this state.
It has not been here for 40 years. The former government was putting the
tinting on the windows of the railcars. We are bringing back railcar
manufacturing.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker,
would you like me to go on?
Several members interjected
Mr M. McGOWAN : Okay; we are
putting in place protection for subcontractors so they have confidence to
employ. There are a range of new projects—the South Flank project,
Koodaideri and Eliwana. They are three among many. The potash industry is
flourishing in this state, and in the Kimberley, there is the Sheffield
Resources thunderbird project. Jobs are all over the state.
If we go to the universities, we see
that innovation precincts have been put in place, particularly at Edith Cowan
University.
Mr S.K. L'Estrange interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member did
ask me, and I can go on, but he can see that this government has been working
hard with industry to create jobs. I might close by saying this: on the radio
this morning, I heard Chris Rodwell from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of Western Australia endorsing this government's approach to working
with business and working with industry to create jobs in our state.
again—I do not know whether it is deliberate—is misleading the
Parliament by coming up with spurious figures in this place. As I said, 33 000
new jobs have been created under this government since coming to office.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That compares
with 25 000 jobs being lost in the last 18 months of the last government. We
have seen a huge improvement in business confidence in Western Australia.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : It could be
yours, member, if you do not keep quiet.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Members do not
have to trust just me that the last government failed when it comes to creating
employment. I want to quote one commentator on these issues who said this about
the last government.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine!
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time. I warned you twice.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I quote —
The community is clearly rattled by
the pace and impact of the post-mining boom downturn. Many have lost their
jobs; many more are worried their jobs could be next.
But the Premier is not listening. Not
to me, not to his Cabinet colleagues, not to his party room and certainly not
to the community.
That was from none other than Dean
Nalder, the member for Bateman, about the last government. When I talk about
the last government failing, I have as my authority the shadow Treasurer. I have
another one here. In October 2017, the member for Bassendean said that the
Liberal government had eight years without a plan. The member for Churchlands
replied across the chamber —
Yes,
but the people of Western Australia know that. The member is not telling us
anything we do not know.
My authorities for the uselessness
of the Liberal Party in office are the member for Bateman and the member for
Churchlands. However, we want to improve employment in Western Australia.
Dr M.D. Nahan : You're
failing.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Thank you.
This government put in place the Western Australian jobs law to ensure there
were more jobs out of projects in our state.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We secured the
WA Industry Link. We secured the Albemarle project in Kemerton and saved 600
jobs via Cleveland–Cliffs in the member for Roe's electorate,
attacked by the opposition, but we have ensured that those jobs were preserved
in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : Member for Churchlands, I will not warn
you again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : We established
the local capability fund to help local small businesses and the priority
sector funding program to help WA companies develop opportunities in Asia. We
are creating Infrastructure WA. We are building Metronet. We have a record road
program across regional and metropolitan WA. We have just established direct
flights between Perth and Tokyo commencing on 1 September. We have the cruise
ships strategy and doubling the number of cruises into Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : You asked for
it.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No; you asked
me. I am going to keep telling you.
We have been bringing back
manufacturing to Western Australia. The Minister for Transport got the bridge
over the Swan River built here in Western Australia as opposed to being built
in Malaysia under you lot. Railcar manufacturing is coming back to this state.
It has not been here for 40 years. The former government was putting the
tinting on the windows of the railcars. We are bringing back railcar
manufacturing.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Mr Speaker,
would you like me to go on?
Several members interjected
Mr M. McGOWAN : Okay; we are
putting in place protection for subcontractors so they have confidence to
employ. There are a range of new projects—the South Flank project,
Koodaideri and Eliwana. They are three among many. The potash industry is
flourishing in this state, and in the Kimberley, there is the Sheffield
Resources thunderbird project. Jobs are all over the state.
If we go to the universities, we see
that innovation precincts have been put in place, particularly at Edith Cowan
University.
Mr S.K. L'Estrange interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member did
ask me, and I can go on, but he can see that this government has been working
hard with industry to create jobs. I might close by saying this: on the radio
this morning, I heard Chris Rodwell from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry
of Western Australia endorsing this government's approach to working
with business and working with industry to create jobs in our state.
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