Labor calls for jobs focus
Health, housing among key issues facing state
THE state government must use the year ahead to address Tasmania’s entrenched problems of high joblessness, a failing health system and poor housing availability and not just focus solely on the COVID- 19 pandemic, Labor leader Rebecca White says.
The Labor leader said her party would spend 2021 outlining its agenda for Tasmania and said that after nearly seven years in power the Liberals needed to do the same.
“T h e r e are a num- ber of other issues confronting our state the government needs to focus on: the fact that our unemployment highest in the elective surgery are the worst
rate is country, waiting they’ve
the our lists ever been, public housing waiting lists are too long, we’ve got some of the poorest education outcomes for Tasmania students, we need to address all of these things. And the government can’t take its eye off the ball and just focus on coronavirus because there are other serious matters that require the government’s attention.”
Cuts to JobKeeper and JobSeeker will have a huge impact on households and on the state economy, Ms White said. It was something that would heighten the economic challenge after a year of economic stimulus.
“Our economic data are demonstrating we’ve got the worst unemployment rate in the country, a very high youth unemployment rate,” she said.
“I believe it’ll be whichever party demonstrates the best response to the economic challenges will be rewarded at the polls.”
Premier Peter Gutwein has ruled out calling an early election, but Ms White said Labor would be ready as an alternative government with a full suite of costs policies whenever the election was.
“Labor’s got a big agenda for this year,” she said.
“We’ve already launched our jobs plan, which will help create 35,000 jobs.
“We’ll also be out making other key announcements this year, particularly around health and education.”
Acting Premier Jeremy Rockliff accused Labor of being lazy.
“In another attempt to gain relevance, Rebecca White has today re- released Labor’s glossy brochure from last year.
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government already has a plan to rebuild a stronger Tasmania, through its record $ 5 billion job- creating infrastructure investment.”