❓ Mr. Love questions project deferrals due to workforce shortages. The Treasurer acknowledges delays, attributing them to a 'hot' construction market and defends the government's handling of the situation, while also attacking the opposition's past performance.
AnsweredQoN 555Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOVERNMENT PROJECTS — DEFERRAL
555. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
I refer to the time lines for 16
major projects that have been pushed back due to the significant workforce and
skills shortage in the state, including key Metronet rail projects, upgrades to
highway networks and renovations to TAFE sites. Will the Treasurer please
identify which of the projects on the deferral list were experiencing delays
prior to the budget being handed down?
555. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
I refer to the time lines for 16
major projects that have been pushed back due to the significant workforce and
skills shortage in the state, including key Metronet rail projects, upgrades to
highway networks and renovations to TAFE sites. Will the Treasurer please
identify which of the projects on the deferral list were experiencing delays
prior to the budget being handed down?
AnswerView source ↗
I think around 16 projects have been
pushed back, most by around a year or so, including two Metronet lines, from
memory, and a range of road interchanges and some TAFE upgrades, but it is
around 16. Bear in mind, the budget contains
within it hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of projects all over Western Australia.
The entire pipeline of work across the state is more than $30 billion—$30.6
billion or so of capital work across Western Australia—so the totality
of the projects that have been pushed sideways is not a major proportion of
that, but it will assist industry to manage a very large workload, both private
and public, at this point in time. I had a meeting with the Minister for
Transport, industry and the unions a few months ago to discuss this. They were
very keen for this to happen because it is so difficult in terms of the very
heated construction and residential construction markets in Western Australia.
It is a very hot market; that is actually a good thing. Just so that the member
for Moore knows, that is a good thing because it means lots of projects, lots
of jobs and lots of people working. It is a good thing. The alternative, of
course, is that it is very quiet like it was when you were in office. Do you
remember that you delivered the only recession in Western Australian history
when you were in office and that you managed to have record revenues but
delivered record debt at the same time?
Dr D.J. Honey : What was the
iron ore price then?
Mr
M. McGOWAN : Member for Cottesloe,
I am not blaming you because you were not there. You came in as the tail end batsman. When Colin Barnett left, you got
preselected and, as Hon Peter Collier
said, it was an embarrassment to the
Liberal Party. I can only quote Peter Collier, who described you as an embarrassment and women as sandwich makers.
That is the capability of the Liberal Party in the upper house.
Obviously, it is a very hot market
across Western Australia, which is actually a good thing, but we are assisting
by moving some projects sideways to reduce the pressure on construction
companies. It means that the pipeline of work will last longer, which is also a
good thing. For instance, our major social housing investment will make the
pipeline of work last longer, which is also a great thing.
pushed back, most by around a year or so, including two Metronet lines, from
memory, and a range of road interchanges and some TAFE upgrades, but it is
around 16. Bear in mind, the budget contains
within it hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of projects all over Western Australia.
The entire pipeline of work across the state is more than $30 billion—$30.6
billion or so of capital work across Western Australia—so the totality
of the projects that have been pushed sideways is not a major proportion of
that, but it will assist industry to manage a very large workload, both private
and public, at this point in time. I had a meeting with the Minister for
Transport, industry and the unions a few months ago to discuss this. They were
very keen for this to happen because it is so difficult in terms of the very
heated construction and residential construction markets in Western Australia.
It is a very hot market; that is actually a good thing. Just so that the member
for Moore knows, that is a good thing because it means lots of projects, lots
of jobs and lots of people working. It is a good thing. The alternative, of
course, is that it is very quiet like it was when you were in office. Do you
remember that you delivered the only recession in Western Australian history
when you were in office and that you managed to have record revenues but
delivered record debt at the same time?
Dr D.J. Honey : What was the
iron ore price then?
Mr
M. McGOWAN : Member for Cottesloe,
I am not blaming you because you were not there. You came in as the tail end batsman. When Colin Barnett left, you got
preselected and, as Hon Peter Collier
said, it was an embarrassment to the
Liberal Party. I can only quote Peter Collier, who described you as an embarrassment and women as sandwich makers.
That is the capability of the Liberal Party in the upper house.
Obviously, it is a very hot market
across Western Australia, which is actually a good thing, but we are assisting
by moving some projects sideways to reduce the pressure on construction
companies. It means that the pipeline of work will last longer, which is also a
good thing. For instance, our major social housing investment will make the
pipeline of work last longer, which is also a great thing.
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