Friday 28 April 2017

WA Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds is calling on Premier Mark McGowan to confirm no Western Australian trade offices will be closed.

“Western Australia’s 11 trade offices are all strategically located in areas that represent significant job opportunities for WA industry,” she said.

“These include four of WA’s top five major export destinations – China, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom, which accounted for a combined total of more than $73 billion in exports from WA in 2015/16.

Other trade offices are in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

“Trade offices are critical to advocate on behalf of the interests of WA industry in these important markets, so reports these could be cut are deeply troubling,” Senator Reynolds said.

“Interstate competition is nipping at our heels in these markets and it would be devastating to jeopardise our position in them.

“For example, only yesterday I met with the WA Agent General in London to discuss WA defence job opportunities. He is doing an outstanding job representing our interests right across Europe in new markets against state competition, and South Australia in particular.”

Senator Reynolds said the value of WA exports was $110 billion in 2015/16 and our goods exports alone account for 42.4 per cent of the national total.

“The Department of State Development’s own figures released today show exports made the largest contribution to WA’s gross state product growth in 2015/16, up 6 per cent,” she said.

“I’m generally supportive of public sector reform and appreciate the need for efficiency, however that should not come at the cost of jeopardising efforts to advocate for WA industry overseas, which creates and supports WA jobs.”

Senator Reynolds said WA Agent General’s located overseas required confidence to continue pursuing opportunities for our state, rather than being the object of yet another WA Labor policy thought bubble.

Fast facts:

• WA trade offices are located in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. There are two each in China and Japan.
• WA exports are worth $109.94 billion.
• WA has the highest level of exports per capita with $41,200 followed by Queensland with about $13,400.

Media Enquiries:

Amy Blom – (08) 9368 6633, amy.blom@aph.gov.au (Senator Reynolds)