Northern Economic Plan

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:24): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the Leader of the Government on the minister's embarrassing answers to questions in relation to the Northern Economic Plan.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The minister has been asked a series of questions over a number of weeks now about the Northern Economic Plan. He made a statement in his original response. He said in relation to the origin of the 15,000 job target in the Northern Economic Plan, and I quote, 'This was an aim that has been put forward by the local mayors and myself.'

As previously outlined to this house, through the hard work of a journalist from the Northern Messenger, who actually interviewed the three mayors who significantly disputed the claim from the minister, it is clear from those responses from the mayors and other information that the minister just came into this house and made up that particular story in response to the original questions.

Just two weeks ago, following that embarrassing answer from the minister in relation to the origin of the 15,000 jobs, he was asked a further question in relation to the minister's estimate of 15,000 jobs, and that was whether the minister accepted that if 15,000 new jobs were created in the north over the next 10 years this would be consistent with a significant increase in the already high 9 per cent unemployment rate in the north. Part of that explanation outlined that the Northern Economic Plan assumed an average annual population growth of 1.7 per cent per year over the last 10 years in the north and whether or not this job growth would be sufficient to reduce the unemployment rate.

The minister on that particular occasion—this is two weeks ago—indicated that he wanted to take the question on notice and bring back a reply. Given that it has now been two weeks, I will ask the minister again whether he has now been briefed on the question put to him two weeks ago. I put it again to him now, whether he is prepared to respond to the question: does the minister accept that if 15,000 new jobs are created in the north over the next 10 years, as outlined in his Northern Economic Plan, that would be consistent with a significant increase in the already high 9 per cent unemployment rate in the north?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:27): I thank the honourable member for his question, which is exactly the same question that he has asked previously. I note that he likes to ask exactly the same questions. Yesterday, he asked exactly the same question as his leader two questions later. The answer is, no, I haven't had a chance. When I do, I will come back and inform the chamber. We will have a look at the different parameters that might be used, some of the assumptions underlying what the Hon. Rob Lucas has done. I do note that we do have a plan. It's something we—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Dawkins, you should know better, being the Opposition Whip. There should be a certain amount of decorum. Continue with your answer, in silence.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: He has every right to have silence while he continues with his answer.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Mr President, I can understand—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Mr President, I can understand why this makes the Hon. Rob Lucas so angry, so furious: we actually have a plan, a plan that actually sets out actions—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: We have a plan that sets out actions, and the Hon. Rob Lucas, without a hint of irony, flashes up the Marshall 2036 plan. I think he is mocking his leader. He is clearly mocking his leader. This is another demonstration of the Legislative Council's Liberal Party asserting its independence over the lower house, and he is mocking their leader. He is flashing up the plan that he knows has nothing in it—absolutely nothing in it. The Marshall plan that talks about things like cutting red tape, it doesn't identify one single thing to do that. The Marshall plan that talks about investing in export capacity—no ideas on how to do that. Motherhood statements! It's like saying, 'Exports are good.' Yes, they are, but it doesn't have one single way to suggest how they're going to do it—not one!—unlike this state government.

For instance, in the area of export plans my very good friend and good egg, minister Hamilton-Smith, has done a lot of things to increase our export capacity, such as the investment attraction agency—administering a $5 million new investment fund which already in the short time it has been going has created partnerships creating up to 300 jobs—and trade missions to various countries. These are actual things that the government is doing, things that we have to plan for, so I can understand the Hon. Rob Lucas being so dismayed, so angry, so upset and mocking his leader in another place by flashing around the Marshall plan that he is obviously so terribly ashamed of.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary.