Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader and Treasury spokesperson
For the ninth month in a row, employment in Tasmania has fallen. It is time the Premier fessed up to his government's failure to deliver secure, sustainable jobs.
The Liberals came into government promising jobs and growth. So far it's been unemployment growing, with government subsidies flowing to unethical and unviable sectors and cuts to funding for vital public services.
The Hodgman Government should dump its outdated reference point of the last State election and stop referring to “volatility in the data”.
Nine months of declining employment is a clear trend, not volatility.
Unsurprisingly, the Liberals have used the same outdated baseline to hide their failure. It's a woeful attempt to avoid the uncomfortable reality that trend employment has been in decline for 9 months straight.
A recession is usually declared after 6 months of sustained decline in economic activity and Tasmania has experienced 9 months of falling jobs' figures.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step to fixing it.
Premier Hodgman needs to break free of political spin and tackle declining employment in Tasmania.
It isn't all about high-vis vests on construction sites. Where is the commitment, for example, to skilling up the large numbers of workers who'll be needed to meet growing demand for disability and aged care sectors?
A positive first step for the Premier is to initiate the development of a workforce participation plan to drive future employment opportunities, particularly for Tasmanians experiencing disadvantage.