Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's been a big week in politics. In this place we've passed the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023. Also, when I touched down in Canberra on Monday, I learnt that the great WA premier Mark McGowan had resigned. Being the Premier of WA demands more than just political acumen. It requires vision, integrity and the ability to navigate challenges while serving the best interests of the state who often views its needs as unique from those who hail from the east coast.

On the national stage, Mark McGowan is known for stepping up and leading in a crisis. We lived virtually COVID-free when we didn't have vaccinations, which meant we could go jogging and eat kebabs whenever we liked. I also think it would be useful to highlight some of McGowan's fantastic achievements during his time as Premier. The McGowan government diversified the WA economy through the jobs plan and the economic recovery plan. The government was still able to achieve these ambitious policy goals through COVID while delivering six consecutive budget surpluses.

Western Australia has recorded the lowest average unemployment rate in the country since 2021, with strong wages across all sectors. The best wages policy for workers is a jobs policy that targets high employment, and the McGowan government has delivered this in spades. During the pandemic we learnt that we should make more things here, and McGowan knew that this was good policy before the pandemic. The McGowan government returned railcar manufacturing to WA at the Bellevue Railcar Manufacturing Facility, and in doing so created 200 long-term manufacturing jobs. This righted a terrible wrong of the Court Liberal government, which closed the Midland Railway Workshops in 1993, instantly destroying a key industrial base and skills capacity in Western Australia.

Another signature achievement of the McGowan government is METRONET, which is about enhancing Perth's public transport systems and creating a world-class transportation network. This project was partly funded by the Commonwealth government and encompasses the construction of new railway lines, expansion of existing lines, lifting dangerous level crossings and generally improving Perth's connectivity. Fundamentally, a train station at Perth Airport makes us a world-class city. The Forrestfield and airport line was opened last year, and I was lucky enough to attend the opening with the Prime Minister and premier Mark McGowan. This link between the city centre and the Perth Airport is a very exciting development for Perth people.

Finally, the achievement I would also mention—which is probably my favourite and isn't talked about enough—is Collie's Just Transition Plan. For those that don't know much about Collie, it is a coalmining town that has existed for many decades, and it's where we have many coal-fired power stations. The McGowan government announced the closure of coal-fired power stations by 2030. By doing this, it provided the community with knowledge of what the phase-out would look like, but part of this is looking at a just and orderly transition and making sure we look at the way those workers transition from one industry to another.

This is a policy area that's particularly close to my heart because I grew up in a mining town. I grew up in a Nickel mining town, and when my dad was made redundant there was no opportunity for a just transition. The Labor government is looking at how we do this in a smart way, where we look at workers but we also look at our energy needs as well. We will continue to make use of our great bounty of critical minerals, and what we can do simultaneously is add value to the things we mine and make sure we have more advanced manufacturing in these regions.

When Mark McGowan was first elected as Premier, the state budget of WA was running on empty and unemployment was close to six per cent. The Hon. Roger Cook inherits a very different Western Australia—one that is thriving. I'm looking forward to seeing the way that Roger leads this mighty state. I will say that he is smart, energetic and also compassionate.