❓ The question concerns immediate government action to assist builders facing financial difficulties, while the minister's response highlights the building industry's sustained high activity and outlines measures taken to support builders, particularly regarding insurance access, while also shifting responsibility to the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 170Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I have a supplementary question. What will the minister do right now to help the builders who are screaming out for an immediate solution to this crisis, including the 41 builders who indicated in a survey of the Master Builders Association of WA that they had lost 187 contracts worth $55 million? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
What will the minister do right now to help the builders who are screaming out for an immediate solution to this crisis, including the 41 builders who indicated in a survey of the Master Builders Association of WA that they had lost 187 contracts worth $55 million? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
What will the minister do right now to help the builders who are screaming out for an immediate solution to this crisis, including the 41 builders who indicated in a survey of the Master Builders Association of WA that they had lost 187 contracts worth $55 million? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
I preface my response by reminding members that Western Australia has had the longest sustainable level of high activity - even a boom - in the building industry for a long time. There has been no reduction in the level of residential construction in this State; it has been operating at a very high level for a sustainable period. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that builders are not getting licences and are not getting on with the job. The reality is that some builders are experiencing genuine difficulties. We have had debates on those difficulties and I will not go through them now. The Government has implemented a range of measures. One measure, which goes directly to the question being asked, is that we have continued to pressure insurers to provide a better level of service. An excellent way of doing that is for my office and the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection to go to insurers with specific examples. In fact, at one of the demonstrations yesterday, alluded to by the member, was a builder who could not get insurance but who, after approaching my office, now has the insurance he wanted. That is what the Government is doing on behalf of builders. It is not raising false expectations in the community by telling stories that are untrue. We are working for small builders and trying to help them. The test is now on the Liberal Opposition. Will it help expedite a message to the other place to help small business or will it continue to play games on this matter?
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