Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Friday 18th June 2010

Treasury Questions Jobs Target

The Budget reveals that Treasury is not confident that the Labor-Green Government can create 15,000 new jobs in the next four years.

Treasury suggests that between 2010-11 and 2013-14, only 7,000 jobs will be created.

This is hardly surprising, given that the Labor-Green Government doesn't have an industry plan, doesn't have an exports plan and only has a plan to create an economic development plan sometime in the future.

Treasury also raises concerns about workers leaving Tasmania because of a lack of investment in the construction sector, as they migrate to states that are attracting more investment, resulting in more jobs. Tasmania has suffered a 40% collapse in private sector investment over the 12 months to March 2010.

Also of concern is the fact that Treasury predicts population growth be 37% less in 2010-11 than it was in 2008-09. After 12 years in Government, Labor still doesn't have a clear plan for addressing the considerable population issues that we have, issues that the TCCI have described as a 'demographic time bomb'.

This Budget shows that not only have Labor broken their promises, and the Greens have failed to deliver theirs, it shows that the Labor-Green Government has no plan for the future and is muddling along without a clear direction.