LNP FOCUS TURNS TO JOBS AS PREMIER FLIES IN
THE LNP has promised to cut tax for hundreds of Cairns businesses as part of a plan to create 500,000 jobs across Queensland while still getting a handle on spiralling state debt.
Opposition employment spokesman Jarrod Bleijie visited Trinity Beach Quality Meats yesterday to outline the party’s small business jobs policy.
He did not elaborate on how an LNP government would make up its $100 million losses from lifting the payroll tax threshold of $1.1 million to $1.35 million over a decade.
He suggested a “live within our means” mantra should apply, not just to the average taxpayer, but also the government of the day.
“Costings will come out during the election campaign,” he said. “More important for businesses today is the fact that they’ll be saving tax.
“The LNP will be leading by example and living within our means, because the revenue for the state is not abundant, it doesn’t grow on trees.
“We’ve now hit, with Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government, over $81 billion debt for the first time in Queensland’s history.”
Mr Bleijie spruiked the LNP’s Get Queensland Working package to create jobs for 20,000 unemployed young Queenslanders over four years.
He said businesses that took on an apprentice would get a $5000 bonus. Apprentices will be eligible for a $500 voucher to upgrade their tools after qualifying.
Mr Bleijie said the policy applied to all trades “whether it be a hairdresser, butcher, baker or candlestick maker”, assuring reporters candlestick-making was a growth industry.
Across town, Labor was singing its own job-creation praises at a media event at Cairns telecommunications provider TeleBiz.
The State Government’s plan includes a $20,000 payment to businesses for every worker they recruit until 2021.
“In Cairns 9000 net new jobs in the past 12 months were created with a local unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent compared to 7.9 per cent under the LNP at the last election,” Treasurer Curtis Pitt said. “Through the Back to Work program, we have assisted 818 employers in Far North Queensland to recruit 1819 jobseekers.”