Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians have been reminded in 2020 that it does matter who you vote for. In 2017, when Western Australia elected Mark McGowan, Roger Cook and the state Labor team, we didn't know what was going to be thrown at them, but we are so lucky that we elected them and not the risky and dangerous alternative proposed by Liza Harvey. Their leadership has kept Western Australia safe and strong. On the other side, the risky and radical ideas of Liza Harvey and her team extend to a state Liberal Party conference that debates secession, wanting to tear Western Australia away from the rest of the Commonwealth, and they never support West Australians. In fact, the only people they ever do support seem to be Queenslanders—and two specific Queenslanders. They support Clive Palmer and they support Senator Hansen.

There is one thing that unites the Liberal Party here in Canberra with the Liberal Party in Western Australia: they always make university and TAFE more expensive for young Western Australians. Liza Harvey increased TAFE fees by 510 per cent, making it unaffordable for young Western Australians to go to TAFE. Here, the Liberals in Canberra, and indeed those from Western Australia, made university degrees 113 per cent more expensive starting in 2021. As I say, it does matter who you vote for.

Over the last four months, 75,000 jobs have returned in Western Australia—the equal lowest unemployment of any of the states, at 6.7 per cent. I think everyone in this chamber would be excited and pleased to know that the West Australian economy grew 1.1 per cent in 2019-20 and is on track again to grow in 2020-21. That is in part because of the strong focus on jobs of the Western Australian government.

Simon Millman, the member for Mount Lawley, has been focused on reducing TAFE fees and investing in TAFE—a $1.8 million investment in Mount Lawley TAFE. John Carey, the state member for Perth, is chairing the Perth cultural centre task force. On this side of the House, we know that cultural industries and the creative industries are an important job creator. Dave Kelly, the member for Bassendean, in winding back the privatisation that happened under the Barnett government, brought 250 Water Corporation jobs back into public hands. Lisa Baker, the member for Baylands, is running the very important community consultations on the new Bayswater station—making sure that we can connect Bayswater and the Perth CBD to Ellenbrook and the airport line. Amber-Jade Sanderson, the member for Morley, has been working on the Morley and Noranda METRONET—a project once opposed by the Liberal Party, but now they are now happy to come to the photo opportunities. They are happy to be there because it means 3,000 jobs and it is going to connect our suburbs. It's the biggest project since the Mandurah line.