Richard Colbeck: Assistance for forest workers to continue

Forest workers will continue to have access to job service programs and assistance, despite what headline-seeking Tasmanian Minister Bryan Green says.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the forest workers assistance program, managed through Forest Works, was a duplication of existing job provider services.

He said existing job service providers could offer the same assistance to unemployed forest workers.

“Bryan Green is in election mode and will say anything to score a headline,” Senator Colbeck said.

“Forest workers can still access job services programs and assistance,” Senator Colbeck said.

Senator Colbeck said the Coalition had a plan to grow the economy and fix the waste and mismanagement by Labor and the Greens.

“Bryan Green put these people in the job queue with his disastrous forestry policy. We have a plan to fix the mess,” Senator Colbeck said.

The Coalition brought forward the Tasmanian Jobs Programme by 6 months which means Tasmanian employers will receive incentive payments to hire job seekers from January 1.

Senator Colbeck said the Coalition had a superior plan to help increase the workforce participation rate in Tasmania.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck