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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 972 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 4 December 2020 by Ms J.M. Freeman

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — STATE ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN

972. Ms J.M. FREEMAN to the Premier:

I refer to the McGowan Labor government's effort in keeping WA safe and strong. Can the Premier update the house on how this government's unprecedented $5.5 billion WA recovery plan is supporting more local jobs and more local business and helping to drive more economic activity across the state?

Mr M. McGOWAN replied:

I thank the member for Mirrabooka for the question. Obviously, our approach to deal with the situation has been very bold. It has been based on keeping the virus out and WA has now gone eight months without a single community case, unlike every other state in Australia. We wanted to keep our key industries operating. I was insistent at the national cabinet level that our export industries continue to operate in a COVID-safe way and that is why we got all the fly in, fly out workers from the east to come here and live. Indeed, major industries are now transferring their workforce from the east or just employing locally, which is an enduring benefit for Western Australia out of what has taken place. Within our hard borders, we lifted restrictions far more quickly than any other state in Australia. Some states are only today talking about going to the two-square-metre rule. We have been there for probably six months. It is a strategy that has been vindicated by every piece of economic data. We have shown that a strong health response results in a good economic outcome. Indeed, we were the first state government to release a recovery plan back in July. We did the policy work in the midst of a pandemic and released a recovery plan back in mid-to-late July. That is what this government did in the height of the pandemic. Western Australia is the only state to not go into recession. The Western Australian economy is the only state to record growth in annual average terms. The Western Australian economy has grown by 4.9 per cent in the September quarter, and that is underpinned by an 11.7 per cent increase in household spending, which is the strongest in Australia and, I think, the strongest in the history of the state.

Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.

The SPEAKER: Just because you are Leader of the House does not mean you can talk all the time.

Mr M. McGOWAN: I must say people say to me all the time that they cannot book a restaurant and they cannot get somewhere to stay in regional WA. That is testament —

Ms L. Mettam interjected.

Mr M. McGOWAN: Is that a good thing? I think it is a good thing.

Several members interjected.

Mr M. McGOWAN: I think it is a good thing. I think that is a very odd interjection. I actually think it is a good thing that local small businesses are booming.

Ms L. Mettam: I didn't say that.

Mr M. McGOWAN: Whatever you said.

The SPEAKER: Member for Vasse, just do not say anything.

Mr M. McGOWAN: We have worked with the commonwealth to put in place the building bonus—the first state in Australia. We have provided finance for the construction of new homes—that is up 144 per cent on 2019. In October, building approvals were up 96 per cent on the same time in 2019, the highest growth easily of all the states. In terms of jobs, Western Australia has the highest participation rate; it has the second lowest unemployment rate in the country by 0.1 of one per cent; 87 per cent of the jobs lost have been recovered; and 63 000 jobs have been created since we came to office. We have made a huge investment as part of our recovery plan in a whole range of things—TAFE capital works, schools and the like—all over Western Australia. Obviously, a range of our important projects are coming to fruition at exactly the right time. Regarding Metronet, today we were out at the Thornlie–Cockburn Link, at which nine projects are currently under construction. We have planning reforms, new approval pathways and less red tape. On Monday, we launched our climate policy. We also have the LNG Jobs Taskforce, the future battery industry strategy, the hydrogen strategy, the defence industry strategy and a range of other important strategies to create jobs across the state.

What is clear is that this government is keeping our state safe and strong. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic that is creating havoc all over the globe, Western Australia is a beacon of people who have done the right thing in difficult circumstances and businesses that we have kept open in the midst of difficult circumstances around the country and around the world.