The Abbott Government must deliver a credible plan to create new jobs in the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) due today.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said Tony Abbott came to power promising to deliver one million jobs over five years but instead has delivered a 12-year-high unemployment rate of 6.3 per cent.
“The Abbott Government is currently 63,600 jobs short of its target and has no plan to create new jobs.
“What we need is a plan for growth that is based on good jobs with decent wages and conditions and strong investment in skills and training.
“Unemployment is already higher than the 6.25 per cent forecast in the Federal Budget and Treasurer Hockey has flagged that it will be revised even higher in today’s budget update.
“The longer we go on with an unemployment rate with a ‘6’ in front of it, the worse the social and economic outlook will be for Australia.”
Ms Kearney said the Abbott Government cut one billion dollars from skills and training in the Budget, has overseen the end of the auto manufacturing industry in Australia and now has public sector jobs in its sights.
“We’ve been told they’re cutting around 200 public sector agencies which will result in huge job losses,” Ms Kearney said.
“All the Abbott Government has done since coming to office is cut with disastrous results. Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey need to come out today and tell Australians how they plan to create new jobs and grow the economy, instead of driving down our living standards.”
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