The Palaszczuk Labor Government now had the shameful record of steering Queensland to register the second highest youth unemployment figures in the nation, the LNP Opposition said today.

Shadow Minister for Employment, Industrial Relations, Skills and Training Jarrod Bleijie said while every other state and territory had reduced youth unemployment, Queensland’s rate had risen by almost 3.5 per cent in the past four months.

“This week’s ABS employment data shows Queensland’s youth unemployment rate is now 15.0 per cent, the second highest in the nation behind Tasmania, at 15.3 per cent,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Labor’s Employment Minister Grace Grace clearly has no plan to address youth unemployment – that was clear from her admission in January this year and now her record speaks for itself.”

“I don’t know that there’s much you can change … there’s always an issue with youth unemployment. It’s not new, it’s been around a long time.” (Grace Grace, Courier Mail, 15 January 2016)

“On top of the fact that our youth unemployment rate has skyrocketed, the participation rate has also plummeted by almost five per cent meaning many young people aren’t even looking for work anymore,” Mr Bleijie said.

“They are giving up – just like Labor’s Minister for Employment, Grace Grace.”

Mr Bleijie said today’s figures are all the more shameful given how many ‘jobs for the boys’ Labor had managed to find for its union mates and former Labor politicians.

“Premier Palaszczuk seems to be able to find plum corporate jobs for Peter Beattie, Terry Mackenroth, Steve Bredhauer and former union heavyweight John Battams but can’t be bothered finding jobs for young Queenslanders,” he said.

“Labor has no plan to grow jobs and supercharge the Queensland economy. They are a government of union lackeys, for union bosses and Grace Grace is the Queen of the union empire.

“Only the LNP has the experience, energy and team to Get Queensland Moving.”

[END] 20 May 2016