However, with more than 300 full-time jobs lost in the first month of 2017 – 4600 in the past year – it’s difficult to see it as anything else.

Overall employment in the state over that same period is up 1200.

This means there has been a quantum shift in employment in Tasmania away from full-time work to part-time and casual.

From a sheer numerical standpoint, our unemployment rate since January last year has fallen quite dramatically in trend terms – from one of the highest in the country at 6.7 per cent to 5.9 per cent, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.

That dramatic decline was enough to send Liberal Party spin doctors and MPs into a frenzy.

Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz said that while the (labour force) figures did bounce around, the trend was clear.

He was talking about the jobless rate.

He wasn’t talking the huge loss in full-time work, however.

State Treasurer Peter Gutwein was a little more circumspect.

He stated that since the state Liberals came to power, 4300 jobs had been created.

Again, no mention of the loss of full-time work.

With around 12 months until the next state election, the Liberals face a difficult task of turning around Tasmania’s job market.

The continued loss of full-time work for thousands of Tasmanians may very well come back to haunt them.

And make no mistake, regardless of what spin any government puts on jobs figures like these, there will be a growing concern among our leaders in the state capital.

It is appalling and deeply disturbing to think that convicted sex offenders – including paedophiles – are not compelled to undergo rehabilitation in prison.

On Thursday, the government announced that the Sentencing Advisory Council had completed its research paper into mandatory treatment for sex offenders.

The state government’s push to make treatment for convicted sex offenders mandatory should be given the full support by the community and our elected officials.