COLIN Barnett has used the recent national census to reinforce his belief that the federal government doesn’t appreciate the key differences between the Western Australian economy and the rest of the nation.
The premier pointed to question 42 in the census, which asked for the most appropriate name of the industry in which each person worked.
Nine categories were mentioned, ranging from manufacturing and wholesaling, to house construction and community care. The 10th section was for ‘other’ categories.
But Mr Barnett noted there was no mention of the mining sector, the big growth area in the WA economy, and a key factor in the state having a declining unemployment rate when national unemployment is rising.
“Maybe that tells you something,” he told delegates to the Liberal Party’s annual state conference.
