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Labor Creates Jobs Crisis in Valley

Sheridan Bond demands answers on Latrobe Valley jobs citing the latest employment figures for the region.

By Portal Admin - 13th August 2018 - Back to News

The Nationals candidate for Morwell Sheridan Bond is demanding answers from the Andrews Labor Government on Latrobe Valley jobs citing the latest employment figures for the region.

Ms Bond said it was alarming that the current unemployment rate in the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland is the highest in regional Victoria by a country mile.

"The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show that the Latrobe – Gippsland unemployment rate is an appalling 7.7 per cent. This is a significant rise from 12 months ago when it was 6.4 per cent and much higher than when the government came to office.

"The jobs initiatives created by Daniel Andrews are simply not working," said Ms Bond.

"Since Daniel Andrews came to office in 2014 our community has haemorrhaged thousands of jobs and the unemployment rate is continuing to rise. During the 12 months leading to May 2018, ABS data shows the Latrobe-Gippsland region lost a total of 3851 jobs.

"Hazelwood Power Station closed early as a direct result of the Andrew’s Labor Government decision to increase the coal royalty by 300 per cent in the 2016 budget.

"Hazelwood unfortunately was just the tip of iceberg for job losses in the Latrobe Valley with the flow-on effect continuing to impact us.

"No matter how the Andrews Labor Government try to spin it, the Latrobe Valley community suffered significant job-losses and we are far worse off under their rule."

Ms Bond said the Greens had recently made clear their desire to join Labor in a new coalition government after the election.

"This would be more bad news for the Valley. The Greens aren’t just happy with Hazelwood closing, they want all coal production shut down.

"They’d also shut down the local timber industry, threatening the future of Australian Paper and the thousands of jobs that rely on it.

"Labor’s record on jobs for the Valley is poor and a future Labor-Greens alliance would be just disastrous."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: support@gippsland.com