Tasmanian workers, their families and businesses across the state face more significant pain unless Peter Gutwein gets his head out of the sand and stands up for Tasmanian jobs.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said next week’s planned cuts to JobKeeper, on top of yesterday’s sobering jobs figures, will leave the economy on a knife edge.
“The latest ABS data shows Tasmanian jobs are down by 4.3 per cent or more than 11,000 jobs, since March, with job losses here higher than anywhere except Victoria and the ACT,” Ms White said.
“ANZ economists have warned against cutting government stimulus too early and say the outlook for household spending is particularly uncertain.
“And the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has today called on the government to act, with the CEO Michael Bailey saying “now it’s time to outline a clear plan for dealing with the economic crisis that COVID has created”.
“Yet, the Premier and his hapless Finance Minister Michael Ferguson continue to spin the numbers, while failing to acknowledge the reality facing thousands of Tasmanian workers, their families and local businesses.
“With 15,000 Tasmanian businesses in receipt of JobKeeper, tens of thousands of workers are just a week away from a significant pay cut, with the economy set to lose millions of dollars.
“The Premier must stand up for Tasmanian jobs and I urge him to join Labor in fighting his federal Liberal colleagues for greater support, rather than backing these damaging cuts to JobKeeper.
“Labor’s COVID-19 Recovery Package sets out a plan to get Tasmanians back into jobs and help those hardest-hit by the pandemic. We need to put Tasmanians above politics and work together to protect local jobs and keep Tasmania’s economy afloat.
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
