Friday 16 July 2010

Cairns unemployment increases last month

Unemployment figures for June just released, show a increase by just under 1% (0.9%) over May, currently at 9.8%.

Local Federal MP, Jim Turnour greeted the news by acknowledging many people are still struggling, particularly small businesses, but he says there's positive signs in the local economy that we need to embrace.

“Domestic and international flights are returning to Cairns which will help the local tourism sector, and there are still a significant number of economic stimulus projects like school upgrades and social housing developments underway this dry season which will benefit local builders and suppliers,” Jim Turnour says.

He says the government has also been supporting local efforts to diversify the region’s economic base.

“The mining sector offers a huge potential for Cairns to establish itself as a fly-in fly-out hub and there has been strong support by government to develop the education sector.”

Turnour also highlights the $40 million commitment towards a new performing arts centre and a $150 million upgrade to the Bruce Highway south of Cairns.

He says that the former MP, and LNP candidate for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, had a "lack of vision".

“It was the LNP candidate and previous government’s lack of vision and action over the past decade which left Cairns with a narrow economy and vulnerable to the effects of an economic slowdown," Turnour said today. "The Opposition had not only been calling on the government to wind back its stimulus plan which has been a lifeline for many businesses in the Far North, but refuses to offer any funding commitments for these projects."

Jim Turnour says the Far North is still hurting and to cut back the stimulus would "take us backwards."

1 comment:

Thaddeus said...

Employment? Look people are happy to let themselves be pulled around.
Some months back they were all screaming "What has the government done for employment?" So when the government followed the rest of the Western world in delivering an economic stimulus package, ie schools building program etc, the people started screaming about the money being spent. Round and round the people go, like trained mice on a wheel. Six months under Abbott and unemployment will soar again...and the screams will start all over. They want jobs, they don't want jobs. They want the Government "to do something", they don't want it. The mice are pacing that wheel.