Government has no plan for jobs with JobKeeper and JobSeeker cuts looming

Tasmanian Labor
  • Thousands of workers facing pay cut or job losses under slashed JobKeeper, JobSeeker payments
  • Where is the modelling on impact of windback?
  • Premier must outline plan for jobs, economy
  • Peter Gutwein’s inability to say whether Treasury has done any modelling to understand the economic impacts of the Federal Government’s imminent cuts to JobKeeper and JobSeeker raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting Tasmanian jobs.

    Labor Leader Rebecca White said the Premier, who is also the Treasurer, needs to outline a clear plan for jobs and the state’s economy.

    “In evidence to the Public Accounts Committee last week the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, without expansion of JobKeeper, Tasmania will face massive new job losses,” Ms White said.

    “Not only that but tourism operators emphasised the importance of JobKeeper to the state’s economy and the need to extend and expand it.

    “With 15,000 Tasmanian businesses in receipt of JobKeeper, tens of thousands of workers will be taking a pay cut in just a week, taking money out of their pockets and millions of dollars out of the economy.

    “Despite his own acknowledgment that the economy is “fragile” and the impact the wind back will have on workers and the state’s economy, the Premier has supported the Federal Liberal Government’s decision to proceed with the cuts.

    “Peter Gutwein is not prepared to stand up to Scott Morrison to protect Tasmanian jobs and he has no jobs plan to keep Tasmania’s economy afloat.

    “The State Government needs to broaden its recovery approach from infrastructure and I again urge them to look to Labor’s COVID-19 Recovery Package, which sets out a plan to get Tasmanians back into jobs and help those hardest hit by the pandemic.

    “Peter Gutwein owes it to Tasmanians to fight to save every job, and every business, rather than backing cuts to JobKeeper and JobSeeker.”

    Rebecca White MP

    Labor Leader

    /Public Release. View in full here.