Published: 11 Sep 2014
Tasmanians have only had to suffer a State Liberal Government for six months and already they are angry at the direction the Will Hodgman Government is taking the Apple Isle.
Last week people took to the streets in all of the regional centres, including the northwest’s Devonport where Deputy National Secretary Mick Doleman took to the microphone.
Doleman said although he was no stranger to the tactics of Conservative parties, he truly was shocked at how cruel the current batch of Liberal politicians, State and Federal, were.
“Hodgman’s answer to high unemployment is to create more unemployment by going to the public sector with a hatchet,” he said.
“I think if we look at the UK and other European economies it has been shown that the removal of rights under the guise of austerity it not the way to go.
“To add insult to injury, if you’re not happy with your lot, well tough, because you’ll soon not be allowed to go to the street if they get their spurious anti-protest bill through.”
Other speakers at the rally included local unionists: Tom Lynch – CPSU, Roz Madsen – AEU, Robbie Moore – HACSU, as well as Sharifa Zaliah Syed-Rohan, a Don College student.
In addition to the local issues Doleman also spoke about the Federal Government’s attempts to dismantle hard-fought wages and conditions in most sectors, including the maritime.
He pointed to the proposal to undermine labour market testing for 457s and the introduction of the Designated Area Migration Agreements.
He said the time had come to fight back and urged protesters "to get some skin in the game".
"We have to fight on behalf of the most vulnerable workers and unemployed throughout this state and throughout the country," he said.
