Mr BURKE - 2003-10-09
During Question Time on Tuesday, you stated that when you came to government you inherited a job market that is shrinking. I refer you to the ABS labour force statistics which come out on a monthly basis. I table this graph, which trends those labour force statistics.
I ask you, Chief Minister, in reference to the ABS labour force figures, will you now admit that the labour force was, in fact, increasing? The labour force peaked in May 2002 and has been decreasing ever since, under your term of government.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Territory’s unemployment figures came out today, and also our participation rates. We always have to be cautious about these figures, whereas …
Mr Burke: They are trend figures.
A member: I say you do!
Ms MARTIN: I am answering the question and I am allowed, at least, to talk about the wider issue in employment, and participation in labour force. It is good to see that, according to the trend rate, we have dropped to 5.7% and we are below the national average of 5.8%. However, what we have to recognise in these figures, because of our small sample, is that they are incredibly volatile. We will see jumps in figures so that you do not know whether they are, in fact, supported by the reality of what is happening in our work force.
While I recognise that these figures are trending in the right direction as far as the Territory is concerned - we are at 5.7%. We are below in the unemployment rate. However, in our labour force, I again say: put a caution on figures and on the whole context we have seen over the last few years. I have never made any issue of this to try to pretend it was any different in this House, which is in stark comparison to what we saw from our predecessors, who came in here clutching every figure they could. They never had a strategy but clutched every figure, saying: ‘All is fine’.
I say very clearly that we have taken a hit over the last two years. We saw the decline in our population and our economic growth from 1997, and we inherited an economy that was very flat. As I said on Tuesday – and will say again – it is very flat when you have had one year, as in 1999-2000, when there was no growth. If we take the ABS statistics, there was a decline under the previous Chief Minister, the man who is now sitting here with his graphs. Between 1999 and 2001, there were nearly 5000 lost out of our work force under the previous Chief Minister.
We have very volatile figures, but there is no denying to anybody that the last two years have been tough, specifically because a lot of the jobs that we have lost have been part-time, in the service industry. It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that we did take a hit in tourism, and for very specific reasons that saw tourism hit right around the world: 11 September, the Bali bombings, the collapse of Ansett, and the SARS impact of earlier this year.
I have talked previously about the kind of measures that have been put in place to ensure that will see this growth in the work force. With the building of the Bechtel plant at Wickham Point, the Lee Point development and the Defence Force initiatives, we are looking at businesses which are looking to grow because of the greater confidence in our economy.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is really interesting when you talk about the positives that are happening in our economy, what you get from the opposition is carping, whingeing and whining.
What I am saying very clearly is that, into our economy in the last two years have come serious focussed drivers for expanding our work force. We are very pleased with that, because we needed to have that step change in the economy that is there through gas coming onshore.
I have said these figures are volatile, but there is no doubt about it: the last two years have been tough for our economy. We have seen the decline in the years before that. I am very proud to stand here and say the economy is turning around. We will gradually see a growth in our labour force. It is not just this Chief Minister saying this, it is the economic forecasters. Go out and talk to business about the growing confidence. Hear the words that are said at, for example, TCA dinners, about the difference between 12 months ago and now. There is greater confidence in the economy. As I wrapped up the question on Tuesday: the only ones who are whingeing about what is happening is this opposition.
I ask you, Chief Minister, in reference to the ABS labour force figures, will you now admit that the labour force was, in fact, increasing? The labour force peaked in May 2002 and has been decreasing ever since, under your term of government.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the Territory’s unemployment figures came out today, and also our participation rates. We always have to be cautious about these figures, whereas …
Mr Burke: They are trend figures.
A member: I say you do!
Ms MARTIN: I am answering the question and I am allowed, at least, to talk about the wider issue in employment, and participation in labour force. It is good to see that, according to the trend rate, we have dropped to 5.7% and we are below the national average of 5.8%. However, what we have to recognise in these figures, because of our small sample, is that they are incredibly volatile. We will see jumps in figures so that you do not know whether they are, in fact, supported by the reality of what is happening in our work force.
While I recognise that these figures are trending in the right direction as far as the Territory is concerned - we are at 5.7%. We are below in the unemployment rate. However, in our labour force, I again say: put a caution on figures and on the whole context we have seen over the last few years. I have never made any issue of this to try to pretend it was any different in this House, which is in stark comparison to what we saw from our predecessors, who came in here clutching every figure they could. They never had a strategy but clutched every figure, saying: ‘All is fine’.
I say very clearly that we have taken a hit over the last two years. We saw the decline in our population and our economic growth from 1997, and we inherited an economy that was very flat. As I said on Tuesday – and will say again – it is very flat when you have had one year, as in 1999-2000, when there was no growth. If we take the ABS statistics, there was a decline under the previous Chief Minister, the man who is now sitting here with his graphs. Between 1999 and 2001, there were nearly 5000 lost out of our work force under the previous Chief Minister.
We have very volatile figures, but there is no denying to anybody that the last two years have been tough, specifically because a lot of the jobs that we have lost have been part-time, in the service industry. It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that we did take a hit in tourism, and for very specific reasons that saw tourism hit right around the world: 11 September, the Bali bombings, the collapse of Ansett, and the SARS impact of earlier this year.
I have talked previously about the kind of measures that have been put in place to ensure that will see this growth in the work force. With the building of the Bechtel plant at Wickham Point, the Lee Point development and the Defence Force initiatives, we are looking at businesses which are looking to grow because of the greater confidence in our economy.
Members interjecting.
Ms MARTIN: It is really interesting when you talk about the positives that are happening in our economy, what you get from the opposition is carping, whingeing and whining.
What I am saying very clearly is that, into our economy in the last two years have come serious focussed drivers for expanding our work force. We are very pleased with that, because we needed to have that step change in the economy that is there through gas coming onshore.
I have said these figures are volatile, but there is no doubt about it: the last two years have been tough for our economy. We have seen the decline in the years before that. I am very proud to stand here and say the economy is turning around. We will gradually see a growth in our labour force. It is not just this Chief Minister saying this, it is the economic forecasters. Go out and talk to business about the growing confidence. Hear the words that are said at, for example, TCA dinners, about the difference between 12 months ago and now. There is greater confidence in the economy. As I wrapped up the question on Tuesday: the only ones who are whingeing about what is happening is this opposition.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016