MORE than a year after the Liberal government promised to create 10 jobs in Launceston in the office of the Co-ordinator-General, not one full-time position has been established. Under questioning by Labor leader Bryan Green at budget estimates on Thursday, State Growth Minister Matthew Groom said five jobs were in the process of being filled. Mr Groom said there would be a ‘‘combination of employment’’ in the office, some of which would be project-based roles. The 2014 state election promise of the office of the Co-ordinator-General was aimed at drawing major investment to the state and was to be based in the North due to the significant decline in the region. It was one of two government departments intended to be based in the North and North-West, the other being Mineral Resources Tasmania. On Wednesday, Resources Minister Paul Harriss said no MRT staff would be forced to move to the North-West which, according to Derwent Labor MLC Craig Farrell, broke the government’s promise to relocate all staff to Burnie. Mr Green described the process as ‘‘in complete shambles’’. ‘‘It [the office] does not employ people in Launceston and never has,’’ Mr Green said. ‘‘There’s no new additions to the public service, so that clearly is a broken promise to the people of Tasmania.’’ Mr Groom said the office and role of the Co-ordinator-General was about ‘‘creating opportunity, opportunity, opportunity and I will keep saying it because that’s what we’re doing’’. He said the feedback they have had from businesses about the office, had been very positive. ‘‘I don’t think it would be a reasonable expectation that all people working in the office of the Co-ordinator-General would be based in Launceston,’’ Mr Groom said. Co-ordinator-General John Perry said the five mixed-term positions included an executive assistant, a northern cities director, project manager, project officer and a graduate project officer. His office would also employ a China development project manager for six months. Advocate for Northern-based departments Don Wing said any backdown by the state government would be highly disturbing. ‘‘It’s an important commitment – the government received a lot of support from the North during the election and that was a key policy and it must be adhered to,’’ Mr Wing said.
MORE than a year after the Liberal government promised to create 10 jobs in Launceston in the office of the Co-ordinator-General, not one full-time position has been established.
Under questioning by Labor leader Bryan Green at budget estimates on Thursday, State Growth Minister Matthew Groom said five jobs were in the process of being filled.
Mr Groom said there would be a ‘‘combination of employment’’ in the office, some of which would be project-based roles.
The 2014 state election promise of the office of the Co-ordinator-General was aimed at drawing major investment to the state and was to be based in the North due to the significant decline in the region.
It was one of two government departments intended to be based in the North and North-West, the other being Mineral Resources Tasmania.
On Wednesday, Resources Minister Paul Harriss said no MRT staff would be forced to move to the North-West which, according to Derwent Labor MLC Craig Farrell, broke the government’s promise to relocate all staff to Burnie.
Mr Green described the process as ‘‘in complete shambles’’.
‘‘It [the office] does not employ people in Launceston and never has,’’ Mr Green said.
‘‘There’s no new additions to the public service, so that clearly is a broken promise to the people of Tasmania.’’
Mr Groom said the office and role of the Co-ordinator-General was about ‘‘creating opportunity, opportunity, opportunity and I will keep saying it because that’s what we’re doing’’.
He said the feedback they have had from businesses about the office, had been very positive.
‘‘I don’t think it would be a reasonable expectation that all people working in the office of the Co-ordinator-General would be based in Launceston,’’ Mr Groom said.
Co-ordinator-General John Perry said the five mixed-term positions included an executive assistant, a northern cities director, project manager, project officer and a graduate project officer.
His office would also employ a China development project manager for six months.
Advocate for Northern-based departments Don Wing said any backdown by the state government would be highly disturbing.
‘‘It’s an important commitment – the government received a lot of support from the North during the election and that was a key policy and it must be adhered to,’’ Mr Wing said.
