The state government continues to provide special quarantine exemptions for interstate workers who are being flown in to work on Tasmanian construction projects at the expense of skilled locals who need work.
Shadow Minister for Building and Construction, Jen Butler, said a special quarantine exemption should only be given when a job can’t be filled by a Tasmanian.
“It makes no sense that skilled local workers are losing out to interstate ‘specialists’ who are being flown in to work on Tasmanian construction projects without checks in place to prioritise and protect our local workers first,” Ms Butler said.
“The Government has a responsibility to do whatever it takes to keep as many Tasmanian workers employed, especially when the success of Tasmania’s COVID-19 economic recovery depends on getting locals back into work.
“There’s currently no system to check whether a local building and construction worker could do the same job and I urge the government to change this as a matter of priority.
“It is not the job of the Emergency Controller to design this process, and it doesn’t have to be a burdensome task for employers. It is the job of the government to make sure that safeguards are in place to protect workers.
“The government must ensure that a process is undertaken to ascertain the market shortage of a particular role before a worker is flown in from interstate at the expense of a skilled local who needs work.
“Special quarantine exemptions should only be given to interstate workers when building and construction jobs can’t be filled by Tasmanians.
“Tasmanian building and construction workers have a world class reputation for quality and efficiency, so why give a Tasmanian job to a mainlander?”
Jen Butler MP
Shadow Minister for Building and Construction
