Annastacia Palaszczuk’s cruel decision to axe Toowoomba residents from accessing the Back to Work program is heartlessly punishing local job seekers.
LNP Shadow Minister for Employment Fiona Simpson said Labor are blatantly ignoring the needs of residents who are battling their hardest to put food on the table.
“Youth unemployment has skyrocketed to 12.9% – a devastating rise of 2.2% in the last year,” Mr Mander said.
“We have a youth jobs crisis in Toowoomba and Annastacia Palaszczuk is deliberately making it worse by cutting desperately needed employment programs.
“The Back to Work program was initially intended for regional jobseekers but the LNP successfully campaigned for it to be extended to southeast Queensland in 2017.
“Last year Annastacia Palaszczuk decided Toowoomba residents shouldn’t be entitled to the same program that residents in areas south of Brisbane can access.
“Toowoomba residents are now fighting to find work and missing out on employment opportunities.
“The potential of Toowoomba’s youth is being wasted under this Government.”
Toowoomba data:
- Unemployment at 6 per cent, up 0.1 per cent in a month and up 0.7 per cent in a year.
- Queenslanders in the jobless queue up 580 in one year.
- Youth unemployment at 12.9 per cent, up 1.3 per cent in a month and up 2.2 per cent in a year.