WESTERN AUSTRALIAN JOBS
ACT — JOB CREATION
1525. Hon SIMON O'BRIEN to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
Notice
of this question was given last Friday, but I was advised that an answer was
not available, so I am asking it today, but I am referring to the news of last Friday. I refer to the wonderful
news contained in the Premier's media release —
Local
workers will fill about 12,800 jobs from the first year of the McGowan
Government's Jobs Act, a key election commitment to prioritise
local workers on State Government infrastructure projects and services.
(1) Can the
Premier please address the outrageous claims that this is a figure pulled out
of the air—or, at best, a guesstimate—by itemising, to the
extent possible, how the figure of 12 800 was arrived at?
(2) Can the
Premier also confirm that these are, indeed, newly created jobs, not just jobs
that would have continued in state government–commissioned work,
regardless of the existence of the McGowan government's Western Australian
Jobs Act?
(3) What
mechanism is there in the Jobs Act to record and support the claims implied in
the Premier's media statement?
(4) If the answer
to (3) is none, will the government move to amend the act so that there is an
element of transparency in it, thereby avoiding future allegations that the
Premier's figures are dodgy?
Hon Darren West: What's
wrong with creating jobs?
Hon SIMON O'BRIEN:
The member just does not get it!
The PRESIDENT: Order! I would
like to hear what the Leader of the House has to say in response.
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
Despite the pejorative language, my answer
is that the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation advises the
following.
(1) The figure of
12 800 is the total number of Western Australian jobs within all participation
plans submitted by successful tenderers for
state government contracts in the last 12 months, as required by the Western
Australian Jobs Act. The member would also be interested to know that since the
Western Australian Jobs Act was implemented, more than 14 700 Western Australian
jobs have been created, including 785 apprenticeships and traineeships.
(2) The
employment figures relate to newly awarded contracts, and consequently the jobs
they are expected to create.
(3) I refer the member to section 14 of the Western Australian
Jobs Act. The act makes it clear that the relevant procurement agencies
must ensure that the commitments made by a supplier in relation to local
industry participation are incorporated in the supply contract. Furthermore,
section 14 clearly states that it is a requirement for reports to be given to
the procurement agency on the extent to which those incorporated commitments
are being, or have been, met.
(4) Not applicable.