Dr WOODRUFF - Minister, a truly innovative and groundbreaking initiative is the Jobs Guarantee. The Greens alternative budget prioritised $240 million - $60 million a year - into a youth jobs guarantee as a first trial towards rolling out to the whole of Tasmania. It is a commitment to find employment for everybody, a meaningful job for those who want it. This sounds exactly the sort of thing that the Strategic Growth portfolio should be looking into. Do you have plans to look into it, especially after parliament agreed that the Government should do that work?
Ms COURTNEY - With regard to this Budget we have seen a commitment across all areas of government around jobs. With the challenges thrown up and the economic impact of COVID it's really important that we're creating opportunities. We have also seen significant support from both the state and federal government for businesses to continue keeping their staff on and I'd like to congratulate the federal government for the significant support they've provided a number of employers across not just Tasmania but across Australia to ensure that they can retain their staff.
If we look across this Budget there are initiatives within the infrastructure space around job creation. We have thousands of jobs set to be created through this year's Budget. In terms of the areas of my responsibility, I spoke to the previous one but I won't go into detail about the initiatives in this year's Budget to support women into jobs with regard to -
Dr WOODRUFF - Minister, this is a specific initiative. In addition to everything else in the Budget that you've funded, we've also funded $240 million in our budget. Leaving the cost aside, is the Strategic Growth portfolio going to investigate that this year as a matter of priority because it's a great thing that could happen in Tasmania?
Ms COURTNEY - The budget papers outline the commitments that have been made. We'll be working with the funding that's been provided through the recommendations through PESRAC to follow implement and embed those. We're going to continue working with those service providers in those communities to make sure that support is provided.
Dr WOODRUFF - So you're not even going to look into it. You are kidding.
CHAIR - Dr Woodruff.
Dr WOODRUFF - This is something that parliament has directed the Government to investigate. Surely this is a top-order initiative for the Strategic Growth portfolio. If you do anything useful, this would be it.
Ms COURTNEY - I feel very confident that you can put that question to the Premier and Treasurer; that is the appropriate mechanism to do that.
Dr WOODRUFF - What do you do other than just have a couple of grants that you hand out?
Ms COURTNEY - I reject any assertion that some of the things in this are not useful. Having met some of the young people at Troublesmiths and seeing the pride they have, the skills they have learnt and the support they're being provided, I think it is incredibly important and it's disappointing that you don't recognise the significant impact this can make. I'm excited by the Glenorchy initiative and the partnerships that we've formed with council to be able to ensure we are giving not just young Tasmanians but all Tasmanians the opportunity to be able to participate in a meaning way. This is a portfolio that is very important for Tasmanians.