Tuesday 7 April 2009

One new job - 99,999 to go

Anna Bligh has created the first of the 100,000 jobs she promised during the State election.

However, it's not one that even Tyson Hayter would take. Anna is on the hunt for a new spin doctor, and it comes with a salary of $175,000.

The job advertisement for Director of Government Media Unit appeared in The Australian.

Just two weeks after the election, when we've seen 1500 jobs lost across Queensland, Bligh's top priority was getting herself a new media manager.

"The people of this state are well aware of the Labor Party's commitment to spin over jobs," Opposition Treasury spokesman Tim Nicholls says.

So the score is now one job created - 99,999 to go.

Tim Nicholls wonders what Dustin - the retrenched miner the Premier referred to in her campaign speech - would think about a spin doctor receiving a $175,000 salary package, and whether he thinks that money would be better spent on retraining and job creation programs?

"This shows that this government is still the same old Labor bag of bones with no new ideas and no plan to protect jobs, except their own."

Reported job losses since the election:

  • BHP: "they'll axe up to 400 jobs at Goonyella Mine at Moranbah and Norwich Park near Dysart in the next few months"
    Announced 26/03/09
  • Rio Tinto - 70 jobs from Coal Division: "The job losses will be from Rio Tinto Coal Australia's head office in Brisbane and its operations across Queensland and New South Wales."
    Announced 31/03/2009
  • HMP Constructions - 500 Jobs in Queensland (linked to BHP's mine closures)
    Announced 01/04/2009
  • Sarina Russo - 250 jobs. (Other job network agencies could cut up to 2000 across Australia)
    Announced 3/04/2009
  • Fisher and Paykel - 300 jobs
    Announced 1/04/2009

1 comment:

Jan from Kewarra said...

The Queensland government's spin doctors (sorry media consultants) are only there to cover up for government department blunders, administrators mistakes and ineptitude or simply, when the CEO of the Cairns Base Hospital decides not to want to talk to the media. She sends a puppet out to take the heat!

We are not called the Smart state for nothing you know.

Its easy to get someone else to do your dirty work! These high flyers are like TEFLON - nothing sticks if you put the right spin on!