Female workers could be left behind in the midst of the state government's new infrastructure blitz, Deputy Labor Leader Michelle O'Byrne says.
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In delivering an update on the state's finances on Friday, Premier Peter Gutwein announced the government would be embarking on the "most aggressive" construction program in Tasmania's history in response to the huge economic impact of COVID-19.
Treasury will immediately review the state's planned $3.7 billion infrastructure spend - which was the centrepiece of the 2019-20 budget - and determine which projects can be fast-tracked.
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Social housing, school and government building maintenance and regional roads, bridges and dams are among the projects on the government's hit list.
While the state Labor Opposition has welcomed the prospect of an accelerated works program, it's also raised concerns that the focus on infrastructure will primarily benefit the male-dominated construction industry, while out-of-work Tasmanian women, and those in precarious employment circumstances, will be left languishing.
New jobs data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released this week showed that the female jobless rate climbed to 5.8 per cent in April, while underemployment for women was at 14.8 per cent - 1.9 per cent higher than the male underemployment rate.
"We already know that women are working in those industries that have been most significantly hit," Ms O'Byrne said yesterday. "Because women often have that part-time job, that casual job, that job in the retail sector, in the hospitality sector."
"They are more likely to have lost their work."
Ms O'Byrne urged the government to work more directly with the retail and hospitality sectors to ensure that they could get "back on track", along with their predominantly female employees.
"It's about getting them the employment and it's about working with hospitality and retail to support them to be able to employ," she said.
"It's about looking at the supports that women need in order to be able to go to work."
Women are working in those industries that have been most significantly hit.
- Michelle O'Byrne, Deputy Labor Leader
Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson said Labor "continue to demonstrate a very narrow socialist view of how the economy works".
"The best way to create jobs is to grow the overall economy by ensuring businesses have the confidence to invest and employ more people," he said.
"Having a strong infrastructure pipeline not only supports jobs in construction, but also backs other businesses and industries that the infrastructure supports.
"Importantly, unlike our opponents, we continue to develop productive infrastructure which employs men and women during construction and underpins long-term economic growth, competitiveness and more jobs."
Having a strong infrastructure pipeline not only supports jobs in construction, but also backs other businesses and industries that the infrastructure supports.
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