Economy
20,800 now jobless
Image: J
TASMANIA’S unemployment rate skyrocketed in April to a national high of 8.3 per cent, while the rest of the country fell to 4.9 per cent.
The jump from 7 per cent took the unemployment rate to its highest level since June 2003.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal a loss of 2500 jobs in April.
The ABS reported 3800 fewer full-time jobs for males and 400 fewer full-time jobs for females, while the total number of employed people fell from 233,700 to 231,200.
The number of unemployed people increased from 17,600 to 20,800.
The jobs downturn comes amid chaos in the forestry industry and precedes anticipated job losses in the mining industry and possible manufacturing job losses at BHP TEMCO.
The retail, real estate and building sectors have all shown downward trends in recent months.
PREMIER Lara Giddings says it is her Liberal opponents who are peddling fiction over the state’s likely future share of GST revenues.
Liberal Treasury spokesman Peter Gutwein said on Wednesday that Ms Giddings’ upcoming Budget would be the “greatest work of fiction since the Harry Potter books” because her figures for GST revenue were at odds with federal Treasury predictions.
But Ms Giddings yesterday said modelling in the State Budget, which predicted a rebound in GST revenue in the 2013-14 to 2015-16 financial years, was the same as that used in other states.
Federal Government predictions for the period say Tasmania will receive around $400 million less as its share of GST revenue.
But the figures do not take into account that the state’s GST share will rise once Commonwealth funding for the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment finishes.
The Premier said Victoria was predicting its GST revenues would rise by $1 billion over the same period and Mr Gutwein was wrong to question her approach.
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• Harkins pulls out of Senate race, leaving Thorp in …:
UNIONS Tasmania chief Kevin Harkins says he will not run for outgoing the vacated seat of Labor senator Nick Sherry, which becomes available when Mr Sherry retires on June 1.
The man former prime minister Kevin Rudd mistakenly called a “pugilist”, yesterday ruled himself out of a run for the Senate this time around, but did not rule out the possibility of a tilt in the future.
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Mr Harkins’ decision leaves the way open for former state education minister Lin Thorp, who is considering a return to politics, and Launceston lawyer Ross Hart, who has also thrown his hat into the ring.
Mr Harkins said the Labor Party should go for a young candidate for the position, which will be up for grabs at the next federal election.
“I think to recycle past politicians is a mistake,” he said.
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THE Tasmanian Liberals have launched a plan they say will “grow” the state’s agricultural sector tenfold by 2050.
Their bid, to increase the value of the state’s agricultural production by about 6 per cent a year for the next 37 years, has been commended by the state’s peak farming body.
Liberal leader Will Hodgman and his primary industries spokesman Jeremy Rockliff yesterday unveiled the party’s “Agri-Vision 2050” plan.
They said growth in the state’s billion-dollar-a-year farming sector would be kick-started by a $4.95 million investment over the first four years of a Liberal government.
Mr Hodgman said the emphasis would be on innovation, research, workforce skills development, sustainability and long-term post-farmgate value adding.
The plan includes establishing a specialised division within the state service, using existing resources to deliver the 2050 blueprint and ensuring a whole-of-government approach to developing the food and agriculture sector.
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• What the TFGA says about the Libs’ plan
• CHILDCARE REVIEW A STEP CLOSER
Parents & Children Will Benefit from a State Tripartite Support to Make It A Reality
Paul O’Halloran MP
Greens spokesperson for Children
The Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the news that the Senate has backed the Greens’ move to provide better childcare for Australian parents and their children.
Greens Children’s spokesperson Paul ‘Basil’ O’Halloran MP said that ever since the introduction of the childcare rebate in 2006, as well as the collapse of ABC Learning Centres, the Greens have been calling for a national review of childcare.
“That review just got a step closer and therefore so did the prospect of better childcare,” said Mr O’Halloran.
“Now that the Senate has backed the Federal Greens’ motion, driven by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, calling on the Government to direct the Productivity Commission to review childcare funding and support, the Government must do just that.”
“The Tasmanian Greens agree with Senator Hanson-Young that the Commission’s inquiry should cover all Commonwealth funding options and models for various types of care including long-day care, in-home care, occasional care, family day care, outside school hours care and care for children with special needs.”
“As the Commonwealth spends around $4.3 billion per year on childcare services, the Productivity Commission is the best placed to tell the government how to outlay that money most effectively.”
“For Tasmania’s part, I recently established and chaired a parliamentary select committee into Child Protection. This tripartite committee, formed with Labor and Liberal MPs, produced a much-needed report into child protection in Tasmania.”
“The committee members obviously have a strong concern about childcare, as do most people. For Australia to have the world’s best childcare regime, I believe we need to continue the state’s tripartisan approach. I will be writing to each Member, encouraging them to support a Productivity Commission review of childcare in Australia in line with the Senate’s recommendation,” said Mr O’Halloran.