❓ Treasurer Wyatt responds to a question about WA's economic recovery, highlighting positive employment data and criticising the opposition's economic record. The response includes multiple withdrawals of remarks deemed inappropriate by the Speaker.
AnsweredQoN 948Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE ECONOMY — EMPLOYMENT
948. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Treasurer:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Forrestfield and the member for Kalamunda, I would like to
welcome the Highland Highnesses who are in the public gallery today. I hope
they have enjoyed their stay in Parliament.
Can the Treasurer update the house
on how the McGowan Labor government's job-creating agenda has lifted
this state out of recession and is driving growth in the Western Australian
economy?
948. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Treasurer:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Forrestfield and the member for Kalamunda, I would like to
welcome the Highland Highnesses who are in the public gallery today. I hope
they have enjoyed their stay in Parliament.
Can the Treasurer update the house
on how the McGowan Labor government's job-creating agenda has lifted
this state out of recession and is driving growth in the Western Australian
economy?
AnswerView source ↗
I can indeed, and I thank the member
for Burns Beach for that outstanding question. Just finishing off on the
previous answer I was giving—because I have now found the quote from
the Leader of the Opposition's speech at the UDIA awards; it is a wonderful
quote—''house prices haven't done anything but bump
along downward for 10 years—we have reasonable house prices.'' I
think the Leader of the Opposition, in a fit of sensible commentary, will now
find himself quoted at length from that speech.
What
great data we are now seeing in Western Australia. Not only do we get a great
outcome, led by Premier McGowan in respect of the GST last week, but we are now
seeing data that finally shows we have moved beyond the wreckage of the Leader
of the Opposition's time in government. As we are now seeing, the
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is down to 5.7 per cent. I remind members
that it was 6.3 per cent when we came into government. Importantly, though, it
is where those jobs have been created. Now we are seeing a rapid increase—it
is growing along at just under five per cent—in full-time employment in
particular. Of the 48 000 jobs that have been created since we came to
government, 60 per cent of those have been taken up by women in the workforce,
which is a great sign around the diversity of employment being created.
Everyone, I think, is starting now to recognise that the efforts of this
government are starting to bear fruit, except old misery guts, the Leader of
the Opposition. Despite all this great data, he came out and complained on Thursday
—
Withdrawal of Remark
The
SPEAKER : Member, you will not call the Leader of the Opposition
that. I ask you to withdraw.
Mr B.S.
WYATT : I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr B.S. WYATT : Instead, the
Leader of the Opposition came out on Thursday complaining, ''Well, the growth
is not broad enough.'' That is despite the fact, as the Premier said, we
have had the best growth for the mining sector in the last 30 years. It is not
broad enough, he says, but thankfully we had Friday's data that
absolutely contradicted the Leader of the Opposition. That confirmed, as I said
previously, that Western Australia is now out of the Liberal-led recession.
That is an outstanding result for Western Australia. The domestic economy
expanded by 1.1 per cent and the broader economy by 1.9 per cent. I remind all
members here that when the Leader of the Opposition was Treasurer, at no point
did the domestic economy grow. At no point did that happen. Indeed, during the
last 12 months of the former government we saw GSP contract by over seven per cent.
Finally, we have turned to a period of growth because we take it seriously.
What we are seeing is the issue around diversity of the economy—the
very complaint that the Leader of the Opposition made. Manufacturing has gone
up 3.4 per cent over the past year, after declining 3.7 per cent in the last 12
months of the former government. Accommodation and food—here you go,
Chicken Little from Vasse—up three per cent after declining five per
cent in the last year of the previous government.
Withdrawal of Remark
The
SPEAKER : Member, you will withdraw.
Mr B.S.
WYATT : I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr B.S. WYATT : Professional
and scientific jobs are up 3.2 per cent, after declining 7.3 per cent in the
last year of the previous government. Arts and recreation, Minister for Culture
and the Arts, are up 2.4 per cent after declining one per cent in the final
year of the previous government. Construction is up 2.4 per cent—listen
to this, members—after declining 24 per cent in the last year of the
previous government. I suspect that is why, amongst all of this good data, even
the Leader of the Opposition has now come on board. What did he say to the
UDIA? He said, ''I have great faith in the future growth of Western Australia.''
That is because he is now sitting on that side of the chamber!
for Burns Beach for that outstanding question. Just finishing off on the
previous answer I was giving—because I have now found the quote from
the Leader of the Opposition's speech at the UDIA awards; it is a wonderful
quote—''house prices haven't done anything but bump
along downward for 10 years—we have reasonable house prices.'' I
think the Leader of the Opposition, in a fit of sensible commentary, will now
find himself quoted at length from that speech.
What
great data we are now seeing in Western Australia. Not only do we get a great
outcome, led by Premier McGowan in respect of the GST last week, but we are now
seeing data that finally shows we have moved beyond the wreckage of the Leader
of the Opposition's time in government. As we are now seeing, the
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is down to 5.7 per cent. I remind members
that it was 6.3 per cent when we came into government. Importantly, though, it
is where those jobs have been created. Now we are seeing a rapid increase—it
is growing along at just under five per cent—in full-time employment in
particular. Of the 48 000 jobs that have been created since we came to
government, 60 per cent of those have been taken up by women in the workforce,
which is a great sign around the diversity of employment being created.
Everyone, I think, is starting now to recognise that the efforts of this
government are starting to bear fruit, except old misery guts, the Leader of
the Opposition. Despite all this great data, he came out and complained on Thursday
—
Withdrawal of Remark
The
SPEAKER : Member, you will not call the Leader of the Opposition
that. I ask you to withdraw.
Mr B.S.
WYATT : I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr B.S. WYATT : Instead, the
Leader of the Opposition came out on Thursday complaining, ''Well, the growth
is not broad enough.'' That is despite the fact, as the Premier said, we
have had the best growth for the mining sector in the last 30 years. It is not
broad enough, he says, but thankfully we had Friday's data that
absolutely contradicted the Leader of the Opposition. That confirmed, as I said
previously, that Western Australia is now out of the Liberal-led recession.
That is an outstanding result for Western Australia. The domestic economy
expanded by 1.1 per cent and the broader economy by 1.9 per cent. I remind all
members here that when the Leader of the Opposition was Treasurer, at no point
did the domestic economy grow. At no point did that happen. Indeed, during the
last 12 months of the former government we saw GSP contract by over seven per cent.
Finally, we have turned to a period of growth because we take it seriously.
What we are seeing is the issue around diversity of the economy—the
very complaint that the Leader of the Opposition made. Manufacturing has gone
up 3.4 per cent over the past year, after declining 3.7 per cent in the last 12
months of the former government. Accommodation and food—here you go,
Chicken Little from Vasse—up three per cent after declining five per
cent in the last year of the previous government.
Withdrawal of Remark
The
SPEAKER : Member, you will withdraw.
Mr B.S.
WYATT : I withdraw, Mr Speaker.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr B.S. WYATT : Professional
and scientific jobs are up 3.2 per cent, after declining 7.3 per cent in the
last year of the previous government. Arts and recreation, Minister for Culture
and the Arts, are up 2.4 per cent after declining one per cent in the final
year of the previous government. Construction is up 2.4 per cent—listen
to this, members—after declining 24 per cent in the last year of the
previous government. I suspect that is why, amongst all of this good data, even
the Leader of the Opposition has now come on board. What did he say to the
UDIA? He said, ''I have great faith in the future growth of Western Australia.''
That is because he is now sitting on that side of the chamber!
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