Cairns tourism: ‘People are bleeding’ amid Far North jobs crisis

Desperate Cairns business leaders have made an emotional plea to politicians to stop playing political football with their livelihoods and stump up wage support that can save thousands of jobs. HAVE YOUR SAY

DESPERATE business leaders have made an emotional plea to politicians to stop playing political football with their livelihoods and stump up wage support that can save thousands of jobs.

Far North owners and employees have condemned the “finger pointing” of both the Labor and Liberal parties on how a lifeline – capable of saving hundreds of businesses from a Covid-induced abyss – can be offered.

Cairns Adventure Group director Roderic Rees said his company and the tourism industry were facing economic ruin and didn’t care which tier of government offered support to employees, so long as it was delivered.

Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick. PICTURE: Brad Fleet

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“We won’t have an industry if we don’t support employees right now,” he said.

“These people are bleeding. They have no money and no work and they don’t care if it comes from the state or if it comes from the federal government.

“The finger pointing in the media today is unacceptable for these employees.”

It comes less than two weeks after both the Queensland and federal governments helped deliver a $600m business support package.

Capta Group director Ben Woodward called on both to link up to find a solution.

“We are calling on both the state and federal governments to work together and to listen to the stories of people … how their lives are being affected by this and do what they can and provide some sort of (wage) scheme,” he said.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland boss Mark Olsen said the tourism industry could lose up to $8 million a day in the approaching September and October school holiday period.

He said businesses and employees “needed certainty and confidence.”

“There are more than 650 businesses today pondering the next few weeks and whether or not they can survive without the certainty … without wage support,” he said.

State MP for Cairns Michael Healy speaks at a press conference on the program of co-responded teams of police and youth justice workers. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

It comes as Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick reiterated his claims federal MP Warren Entsch had the power to get wage relief for struggling Far North businesses “tomorrow” with one simple phone call to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Dick and fellow Labor politicians have put the Cairns-based Liberal member and his Liberal federal government on blast for their blame shifting on who is ultimately responsible for a return of JobKeeper-style lifeline.

Mr Dick doubled down on his statement Mr Entsch should be using all his influence to “back the Far North today.”

“This is pretty simply, we just have to bring back JobKeeper,” he said.

“It worked before, and it will work again.

Roderic Rees, owner of Cairns Adventure Group. Picture by Sean Davey.

“If Warren Entsch puts his vote on the table today JobKeeper will be back tomorrow, mark my words.

“Warren, make that call and do it for Cairns. Ring Scott Morrison (and) say bring back JobKeeper.”

Cairns MP Michael Healy questioned why Mr Entsch “wasn’t doing more” and said any wage subsidy should be the sole responsibility of the federal government.

“Just 12 months ago the federal government accepted the responsibility of wage subsidy, so at what stage did that stop and they decided to fish it out to the states” he said.

“It was their responsibility a year ago, you tell me what has changed?”

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Originally published as Cairns tourism: ‘People are bleeding’ amid Far North jobs crisis