RECONNECT WA
427. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of my colleague the member for Southern River, I acknowledge the student
councillors from Caladenia Primary School who are in the public gallery today.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $195 million Reconnect WA package to attract more
tourists, workers and students to Western Australia. Can the Premier outline to
the house how the upcoming Reconnect WA mission to Italy, the UK, Ireland and
Qatar will help to promote Western Australia, attract skilled workers to the
state and diversify our economy?
Mr M. McGOWAN
replied:
I thank the member for Kingsley for
the question.
The government is putting a huge
amount of effort into diversifying our economy and recovering from the COVID period in particular with our $195 million
Reconnect WA package. Prior to COVID, of course, we had record tourism visitation. We had secured direct flights from a range
of overseas destinations and we were investing in international
education, and now we are going back into that field very, very heavily.
I will be joining the first direct
flight to Italy on Saturday as part of our Reconnect Western Australia mission.
This will be the first time in nearly three years that I have been overseas to
promote Western Australia. The first direct flight, Perth to Rome, will be the
first-ever direct flight between Australia and mainland Europe for commercial
purposes. It is off the back of the direct Perth–London flights, which
recommenced recently and which Qantas has said has been its most successful
route ever. The Western Australian government has marketed and promoted the new Perth to Rome flight and return. I am
confident, and we will work with Qantas to make it a round service. Indeed,
we are working as part of our Reconnect package on other international flights.
Whilst in Europe, I will be hosting
a series of tourism round tables with wholesalers, distributors and partners. I will be meeting with key energy players who
invest in Western Australia and a range of large infrastructure builders
who are engaged in projects in Western Australia. As Treasurer, I will be
meeting with banks, financial investors and the financial industry about the Western
Australian financial situation, which is, of course, the strongest in Australia.
The demand for our bonds is very strong and I will be able to speak to those
investors, as indeed the Treasurer normally does after each and every budget.
In relation to skills, I will be
going to Ireland to promote opportunities to move to Western Australia to
undertake work in our state, particularly in
construction, mining, health care, hospitality and tourism. We have a record
number of jobs available. As we know, it is a very tight labour market,
and a lot of businesses, and indeed hospitals, are looking for additional
staff. Ireland has always been a ready-made location to look for people who
want to come to Western Australia to live and fill some of these positions.
Whilst in Ireland, I will be having
a meeting with the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins, who came out here a few years ago. He has been re-elected to that
role, and I look forward to seeing President Higgins again. I will be having a meeting with the Prime Minister of
Ireland, Hon Miche�l Martin, as well. This will be a very productive set
of events to promote Western Australia and ensure that we continue on the
pathway of being the strongest economy in Australia and probably the world.
Distinguished Visitor —
Nick Catania
The
SPEAKER: Before I give the call to the member for Roe, I would like
to acknowledge my good friend the former
member for Balcatta, Nick Catania, in the Speaker's gallery today, and
also all the other guests who are here today, presumably for the
valedictory of the member for North West Central.