People
right across Queensland are finding it more difficult to secure paid
work as the Newman Government fails to deliver the jobs it promised it
would, Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt said
today.
Mr
Pitt said regionally specific unemployment revealed the devil in the
detail of last week’s shock 7% seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for
Queensland with youth unemployment rates particularly
high.
“Instead
of investing in job creation in regional Queensland, Campbell Newman
and the LNP insist on squandering taxpayer funds to promote its asset
sales regime at the same time as slashing
funding to TAFE training programs,” he said.
“What we’re seeing is the 12-month average youth unemployment rate in places like Cairns hit 20.3%.
“That’s up from 19.7% just a year ago and 11% in March 2012.
“The
overall 12-month average unemployment rate for Cairns is still sitting
around 8% and is long way from the 4% Campbell Newman promised.
“With
youth unemployment so high, it’s clear that Tim Nicholls has lost
control of the unemployment rate and has no plan for job creation.
“Queensland
communities are crying out for jobs and the LNP is more interested in
itself and spending taxpayer funds on self-indulgent advertising than
helping Queenslanders.
“The
LNP seems to be gambling everything on forcing unwanted asset sales
upon Queenslanders but proceeds from asset sales won’t flow for up to
five years.
“That’s a long time to wait for a job if you can’t pay the bills today.
“The LNP’s focus is on a plan for asset sales when their focus should be on a plan for jobs.”
Mr Pitt said youth unemployment had been identified at the G20 Summit as one of the major social threats around the globe.
“I
read reports of comments by the chair of the G20 Youth Summit, Holly
Ransom, who says youth disengagement was a problem for all G20 nations
and could mean coming generations had a poorer
quality of life than current ones,” Mr Pitt said.
“All
governments have an obligation to do all they can to ensure that
doesn’t happen. The figures Ms Ransom quoted were quite alarming — 75
million people under 25 unemployed across the globe.
“While
Australia and Queensland have a relatively small share of that bigger
figure, we still need to act so that young people believe they have a
future and do not become disengaged and
disconnected from their communities.”
More information about Labor’s
jobs policies can be found here.
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