Humphries Inactivity Reaps As It Sows - Job Ads Down For 6 Months

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Employment

Media Statement - 6 August 2001

Gary Humphries' inactivity on ACT jobs has reaped the rewards of doing nothing Labor Shadow Employment Minister Wayne Berry said today.

Mr Berry's statement follows today's release of the ANZ Job Advertisement series which show that job advertisements in the ACT have fallen for 6 months in a row - down 12% on last years figures.

"This is a reward in kind for the failure of this Chief Minister to confront the looming unemployment problem when it was foreseen last year," Mr Berry said.

"All we've had is derision from Mr Humphries each time the looming problem was pointed to.

"According to the ANZ figures, the ACT joins Tasmania and the Northern Territory in decline while the majority of states are improving.

"In surrounding NSW job advertisements have increased so, before the Chief Minister blames the Territory's plight on externalities, he might like to look at these figures.

"I have been calling on the Chief Minister since January to face the problem and come up with programs to deal with rising unemployment.

"I have even shown him where there were unfilled jobs in the ACT Fire Brigade as an example of how it was possible to find jobs for the increasing number of Canberrans out of work," Mr Berry concluded.