Humphries Jobs Plan too Late - the Horse Has Bolted
3 September 2001
The release of today’s ANZ Job Advertisement figures demonstrates once again the failure of Chief Minister Gary Humphries to develop a jobs plan to address the ACT’s rising unemployment rate, Labor Shadow Employment Minister Wayne Berry said today.
The ANZ Job Advertisement figures released today show that the ACT’s trend job advertisements have fallen once again. Job advertisements are rising in trend terms everywhere except NSW and the two Territories. Job advertisements in the ACT are down again this month (0.7%) - 28% lower than this time last year.
"It’s now too late for the Humphries jobs plan - the horse has bolted," Mr Berry said.
"I have been calling on the Chief Minister to come up with a jobs plan since January but he’s had no answer to the jobs slide in the ACT. In spite of repeated promises to produce a plan, nothing has eventuated.
"I came up with areas of unfilled jobs in the ACT Fire Brigade as an example of how it is possible to find jobs for the increasing number of Canberrans out of work.
"A jobs strategy has been one of the highest priorities for Labor through this term.
"Labor has not waited until an election looms before developing strategies to build business confidence and get Canberrans working again," Mr Berry concluded.