❓ The Premier highlights WA's policy successes adopted nationally, including RSV immunisation, electricity credits, and TAFE fees, while criticising the opposition. The Premier also acknowledges community members and students.
AnsweredQoN 841Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LABOR GOVERNMENT
POLICIES
841. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
nation-leading rollout of free respiratory syncytial virus immunisations, which
have now been introduced across the nation.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house any other policies of this government that have
now been adopted elsewhere?
(2) Can the Premier advise the house whether he is
aware of any risks to Western Australia's nation-leading status?
POLICIES
841. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
nation-leading rollout of free respiratory syncytial virus immunisations, which
have now been introduced across the nation.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house any other policies of this government that have
now been adopted elsewhere?
(2) Can the Premier advise the house whether he is
aware of any risks to Western Australia's nation-leading status?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Before I start, I acknowledge the staff and students from Yuluma Primary
School. They once gave me a beaded wristband to celebrate R U OK? Day. I love
it when the kids are out there building up
awareness of mental health. I also acknowledge Uncle Ben Taylor in the Speaker's
gallery, who is a great statesman and elder for the Aboriginal community
and everyone, and Megan Anwyl, who was almost as good as the current member for
Kalgoorlie during her time! It is great to see you all here.
(1)–(2) We
know that WA is the leading exporter of goods in Australia. We account for 50 per
cent of the nation's goods. Our success is underpinned by a strong
mining and resources industry, which is driving the exports of iron ore and LNG
and bringing prosperity to the state and nation. Our fastest growing export is
arguably sensible forward-thinking policy.
The federal government has announced a replica of the WA's free RSV immunisation policy. This policy was rolled out in Western Australia in April
and has protected 23 000 babies across the state, which reflects an 84 per cent
take-up rate of the vaccine. It has prevented hundreds
of hospitalisations. I am so proud that this great WA initiative is now being
replicated nationally . That is not the only WA policy that has been
transferred to other jurisdictions. I want to illuminate the chamber on some of
the great work that has been replicated around the country. First of all, the
electricity credits are now a federal policy. Our cheaper TAFE fees have also
been picked up by federal government. It is a great partner with our state
government, with the Minister for Training and Workforce Development announcing
another spate of fee-free TAFE courses with Minister Giles earlier this week.
Other notable policy exports include the
nation-leading crackdown on bikies, which has been replicated in New Zealand ;
student assistant payments; and free VacSwim lessons, on which the Victorian
government is doing an okay job replicating, but it is not going quite as well
as ours. In addition, our cap on public transport fares was adopted by the
Queensland government. There are some WA policies that other states can only
dream of, such as the WA domestic gas policy—I am not sure that that
will get a guernsey—and, of course, keeping Western Power and Fremantle
port in public hands. Can members imagine today if we were at the mercy of a private
port operator or a monopoly private operator of our power transmission? We
would see super profits being generated from
the energy transition rather than a poles and wires proprietor working for the common good and benefit of the community, not for the benefit of
profits. We are so fortunate in Western Australia to have not gone down that
particular route.
We are, of course, officially the
best-performing economy in the country. Unemployment has averaged below four per cent for more than three years.
That is a record for this state. We continue to sensibly manage the
finances. Madam Speaker, because we manage the finances, we can afford to
provide cost-of-living relief and build world-class infrastructure for Western Australia.
That is why it is so important to make sure that we continue this great legacy
that the WA Labor government has created.
There is a risk to everything that we
have gained and our leading economy. There is a risk to everything that we do
that is forward thinking and produces great sensible policy, and that is the
so-called opposition alliance—or the
opposition divorce! I am not quite sure what stage we are up to. Each member or
candidate seems to have their own spin on whatever policy the opposition
runs each day, whether it is opposing inner-city schools, closing down women's
shelters, bringing homophobic, extremist, racist and bigoted remarks to the
public domain or making declarations on behalf of the party that the Leader of
the Liberal Party has no idea about. Of course, there is the yawning chasm
between the Nationals WA's official line and the Liberal Party's
official line, particularly when it comes to housing.
At the moment, we are seeing a vague
meandering of spending commitments from the parties on the other side that
should send the message to the people of Western Australia: do not risk your
vote on the Liberals and Nationals. They do not have experience. They do not
have the policies. They have not done the hard work to actually earn people's
votes, but the most worrying aspect is the calibre of people and sorts of characters that they are pre-selecting right
across the state. Madam Speaker, we stand for common decency . We stand
for mainstream services, jobs in Western Australia, keeping our economy strong,
investing in health and making sure that we
continue to drive housing supply in this community. The only risk to t hose
policies—many of which have been replicated in other parts of Australia—is
the Liberals and Nationals.
Before I start, I acknowledge the staff and students from Yuluma Primary
School. They once gave me a beaded wristband to celebrate R U OK? Day. I love
it when the kids are out there building up
awareness of mental health. I also acknowledge Uncle Ben Taylor in the Speaker's
gallery, who is a great statesman and elder for the Aboriginal community
and everyone, and Megan Anwyl, who was almost as good as the current member for
Kalgoorlie during her time! It is great to see you all here.
(1)–(2) We
know that WA is the leading exporter of goods in Australia. We account for 50 per
cent of the nation's goods. Our success is underpinned by a strong
mining and resources industry, which is driving the exports of iron ore and LNG
and bringing prosperity to the state and nation. Our fastest growing export is
arguably sensible forward-thinking policy.
The federal government has announced a replica of the WA's free RSV immunisation policy. This policy was rolled out in Western Australia in April
and has protected 23 000 babies across the state, which reflects an 84 per cent
take-up rate of the vaccine. It has prevented hundreds
of hospitalisations. I am so proud that this great WA initiative is now being
replicated nationally . That is not the only WA policy that has been
transferred to other jurisdictions. I want to illuminate the chamber on some of
the great work that has been replicated around the country. First of all, the
electricity credits are now a federal policy. Our cheaper TAFE fees have also
been picked up by federal government. It is a great partner with our state
government, with the Minister for Training and Workforce Development announcing
another spate of fee-free TAFE courses with Minister Giles earlier this week.
Other notable policy exports include the
nation-leading crackdown on bikies, which has been replicated in New Zealand ;
student assistant payments; and free VacSwim lessons, on which the Victorian
government is doing an okay job replicating, but it is not going quite as well
as ours. In addition, our cap on public transport fares was adopted by the
Queensland government. There are some WA policies that other states can only
dream of, such as the WA domestic gas policy—I am not sure that that
will get a guernsey—and, of course, keeping Western Power and Fremantle
port in public hands. Can members imagine today if we were at the mercy of a private
port operator or a monopoly private operator of our power transmission? We
would see super profits being generated from
the energy transition rather than a poles and wires proprietor working for the common good and benefit of the community, not for the benefit of
profits. We are so fortunate in Western Australia to have not gone down that
particular route.
We are, of course, officially the
best-performing economy in the country. Unemployment has averaged below four per cent for more than three years.
That is a record for this state. We continue to sensibly manage the
finances. Madam Speaker, because we manage the finances, we can afford to
provide cost-of-living relief and build world-class infrastructure for Western Australia.
That is why it is so important to make sure that we continue this great legacy
that the WA Labor government has created.
There is a risk to everything that we
have gained and our leading economy. There is a risk to everything that we do
that is forward thinking and produces great sensible policy, and that is the
so-called opposition alliance—or the
opposition divorce! I am not quite sure what stage we are up to. Each member or
candidate seems to have their own spin on whatever policy the opposition
runs each day, whether it is opposing inner-city schools, closing down women's
shelters, bringing homophobic, extremist, racist and bigoted remarks to the
public domain or making declarations on behalf of the party that the Leader of
the Liberal Party has no idea about. Of course, there is the yawning chasm
between the Nationals WA's official line and the Liberal Party's
official line, particularly when it comes to housing.
At the moment, we are seeing a vague
meandering of spending commitments from the parties on the other side that
should send the message to the people of Western Australia: do not risk your
vote on the Liberals and Nationals. They do not have experience. They do not
have the policies. They have not done the hard work to actually earn people's
votes, but the most worrying aspect is the calibre of people and sorts of characters that they are pre-selecting right
across the state. Madam Speaker, we stand for common decency . We stand
for mainstream services, jobs in Western Australia, keeping our economy strong,
investing in health and making sure that we
continue to drive housing supply in this community. The only risk to t hose
policies—many of which have been replicated in other parts of Australia—is
the Liberals and Nationals.
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