Tassie missing out over PS jobs

THE State Opposition has taken aim at a Federal Budget measure relocating public service jobs to regional areas after Tasmania missed out.

Six government bodies will be moved to locations including Western Sydney, Darwin, Wodonga in Victoria, Dubbo in NSW and Toowoomba in Queensland.

But a push from Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam and state Treasurer Peter Gutwein for public service jobs to be moved to the state’s North has fallen on deaf ears, Labor deputy leader Michelle O’Byrne said.

Senator Duniam and Mr Gutwein announced a working group to lobby the Turnbull Government last month.

“Every state and the Northern Territory have had jobs boosts — only Tasmania has missed out,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“Tasmanians deserve representatives who will fight for and secure Tasmania’s fair share from Canberra.”

Labor says Commonwealth public sector jobs in the state have declined from 4239 in 2013 to the current 3468.

Four hundred jobs were shed last year alone, it says, with losses in the Department of Defence, the Australian Taxation Office, the former Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Australian Federal Police, Hobart Airport and the ABC.

Another 100 visa-processing positions are now at risk from outsourcing, Labor says.

Senator Duniam said he would continue to fight to relocate public sector jobs to Tasmania. “The bid was launched less than a month ago, and has a long way to go,” he said.

“We are determined to get our fair share from the Commonwealth and will continue to strongly advocate for these jobs to be relocated to Tasmania,” Mr Gutwein said.