JOBS — SKILLED
MIGRATION LIST
1201. Hon CHARLES SMITH to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
I refer to the Premier standing up
for workers and removing Perth from the regional migration scheme and trimming
the state's skilled migration list in 2017. Despite Western Australia's
labour underutilisation rate being at 15.4 per cent and wage growth at just 1.6
per cent—the lowest in the country—why is the government now
turning its back on Perth workers by importing low-paid migrant workers?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
The
Premier rejects the premise of the question. No changes have been made to the
WA skilled migration occupation list. The state government is in
discussion with the federal government concerning attracting international
students to WA. I remind the member that the 457 visa and the parameters that
surrounded it were the concern of the government. As the member would be aware,
the 457 visa category no longer exists.