In Question Time today (20 March 20130), Treasurer Wayne Swan compared Australia’s unemployment rate (5.4%), with countries that have highly undesirable unemployment rates like the United States (jobless rate “above 7%”). Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings must be thrilled with the comparison! If 7% is such a negative benchmark, what does the Treasurer’s comparison say about [...] Continue reading » » »
Lara Giddings is in denial
The front page of today’s Examiner (20 August) is yet another clear example of Premier Lara Giddings trying to blame everyone but herself for the economic mess Tasmania finds itself in. There is no mention of her personal culpability in running a series of structural deficits, or of fiscal over-commitment by the Bartlett-Giddings team over the last decade, [...] Continue reading » » »
Tasmanian unemployment rises by a full percentage point
At 1130am today (10 May 2012) the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the latest unemployment figures, showing a sharp increase in the number of people unemployed in Tasmania. Our unemployment rate rose by more than a full percentage point from 7.2% to 8.3%, highlighting the devastating impact of Labor-Greens policies. We still have the highest unemployment rate in the [...] Continue reading » » »
Rio Tinto disinvests at Bell Bay, creating job uncertainty
Rio Tinto’s announcement today that it will divest its 13 aluminium units worldwide, including its Bell Bay Smelter, is the latest vote of no confidence by big business in the federal Labor Government’s handling of the Australian economy. It Is clear to me that the Company has lost confidence in the business environment and made [...] Continue reading » » »
