❓ Mr. Logan questions the Minister for Regional Development about job losses at Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation and the awarding of a housing maintenance contract to an eastern states company. The Minister responds by highlighting the government's commitment to improving outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
AnsweredQoN 739Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INDIGENOUS
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
739. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Regional Development:
My question, coincidentally, is also about jobs for
Indigenous people.
I refer to the minister's role, announced by the
Premier in May, to report to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs on ways to
reform and improve education and job prospects in Aboriginal communities and
the loss of a Department of Housing maintenance contract from the Mowanjum
Aboriginal Corporation to an eastern states company.
(1) How is the
termination of 12 jobs from the Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation achieving
better employment outcomes for Aboriginal workers?
(2) Why is his
government making it harder for Aboriginal workers to get jobs, particularly in
these areas?
(3) Will the
minister now intervene and demand that the housing head contractor, Lake
Maintenance, utilise local companies rather than eastern states companies?
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
739. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Regional Development:
My question, coincidentally, is also about jobs for
Indigenous people.
I refer to the minister's role, announced by the
Premier in May, to report to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs on ways to
reform and improve education and job prospects in Aboriginal communities and
the loss of a Department of Housing maintenance contract from the Mowanjum
Aboriginal Corporation to an eastern states company.
(1) How is the
termination of 12 jobs from the Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation achieving
better employment outcomes for Aboriginal workers?
(2) Why is his
government making it harder for Aboriginal workers to get jobs, particularly in
these areas?
(3) Will the
minister now intervene and demand that the housing head contractor, Lake
Maintenance, utilise local companies rather than eastern states companies?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
It is interesting that the opposition asked this question when this Liberal–National
government is prepared to bite off the significant challenge of getting better
outcomes for people who live in the remote communities of Western Australia. We
are prepared to tackle the great challenge of what the Aboriginal people
themselves have said is fundamentally unacceptable—that is, the status
quo. If we start from the premise that the status quo is unacceptable, we need
to find a much better outcome.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : To this government's
credit, it is embarking on reform in that area.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Hon Helen Morton and I are two lead
ministers playing a role in that. We have visited a significant number of
communities. Hon Helen Morton will play a role around service delivery and I
will play a role around infrastructure.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
make the point that if the member for Cockburn is asking a question about the
housing portfolio, I ask him to put it on notice, because I am not the housing
minister.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members for Cockburn, West Swan and Victoria Park!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
make the point to the member for Cockburn that if his question is premised on a
specific Department of Housing matter, I ask him to put it on notice. But I do
make the point —
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time. Either you are
going to answer the question or you are not, minister; just tell us what you
want to do and let us get on with it.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am not sure I am saying what the member for Cockburn
wants to hear—I am talking about the good work that this government is
doing. It is interesting that the member brought up the Mowanjum community as
one of the communities he says is being impacted. The good Minister for Water
next to me here launched the Water for Food project up there.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : That project is rolling out significant economic development
opportunities in the Fitzroy Valley that are supporting development of pastoral
leases of which in the Kimberley I think Aboriginal people own about one-third.
There is also the example of Mowanjum, where those sprinklers and that centre
pivot irrigator are working as we speak to drive economic outcomes in those
communities. That includes the Mowanjum community referred to in the question
from the member for Cockburn. This government takes this effort very, very
seriously. We have formed a cabinet subcommittee to drive better outcomes. Even
the Aboriginal people and Aboriginal leaders themselves do not accept the
status quo. We are working through those challenges and I am sure we will
deliver a better outcome than exists now.
It is interesting that the opposition asked this question when this Liberal–National
government is prepared to bite off the significant challenge of getting better
outcomes for people who live in the remote communities of Western Australia. We
are prepared to tackle the great challenge of what the Aboriginal people
themselves have said is fundamentally unacceptable—that is, the status
quo. If we start from the premise that the status quo is unacceptable, we need
to find a much better outcome.
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : To this government's
credit, it is embarking on reform in that area.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : Hon Helen Morton and I are two lead
ministers playing a role in that. We have visited a significant number of
communities. Hon Helen Morton will play a role around service delivery and I
will play a role around infrastructure.
Mr
B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
make the point that if the member for Cockburn is asking a question about the
housing portfolio, I ask him to put it on notice, because I am not the housing
minister.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members for Cockburn, West Swan and Victoria Park!
Mr D.T. REDMAN : I
make the point to the member for Cockburn that if his question is premised on a
specific Department of Housing matter, I ask him to put it on notice. But I do
make the point —
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time. Either you are
going to answer the question or you are not, minister; just tell us what you
want to do and let us get on with it.
Mr D.T. REDMAN :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am not sure I am saying what the member for Cockburn
wants to hear—I am talking about the good work that this government is
doing. It is interesting that the member brought up the Mowanjum community as
one of the communities he says is being impacted. The good Minister for Water
next to me here launched the Water for Food project up there.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : That project is rolling out significant economic development
opportunities in the Fitzroy Valley that are supporting development of pastoral
leases of which in the Kimberley I think Aboriginal people own about one-third.
There is also the example of Mowanjum, where those sprinklers and that centre
pivot irrigator are working as we speak to drive economic outcomes in those
communities. That includes the Mowanjum community referred to in the question
from the member for Cockburn. This government takes this effort very, very
seriously. We have formed a cabinet subcommittee to drive better outcomes. Even
the Aboriginal people and Aboriginal leaders themselves do not accept the
status quo. We are working through those challenges and I am sure we will
deliver a better outcome than exists now.
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