WA Liberal leader Liza Harvey has slammed the McGowan Labor Government for continuing to snub West Australian businesses at a time when the State has record unemployment.
“The McGowan Government has awarded a $3 million media monitoring contract to a company based in Victoria,” Ms Harvey said.
“This is another example of jobs that should be going to West Australian businesses and West Australian people.
“Recently the Government unveiled its $2 million Wander Out Yonder tourism campaign – a contract that was handed to a Sydney agency.
“And more than $2.5 billion worth of major infrastructure work is going to foreign contractors, denying opportunities for local WA mid-tier construction companies.
“This another example of the McGowan Government’s bungled WA Jobs Act, which defines local content as including the Eastern States and New Zealand.
“The Premier is happy to bask in his popularity in polls, but isn’t doing anything about reducing the unemployment figures in Western Australia.
“It’s 8.1%, the worst in Australia. Mr 8.1% needs to explain why we have 112,000 people in Western Australia unemployed now – the highest on record.
“Mr 8.1% needs to explain why there are 167,000 people underemployed.
“We have a jobs crisis in Western Australia and Mr 8.1% continues to hand out million-dollar contracts to interstate businesses. Our economy is on life support.
“The Premier needs to stop giving West Australian jobs to interstate companies and interstate people. The Liberal Party will prioritise West Australian jobs for West Australians at the election.”