Anger rises at importation of interstate construction workers as local tradies remain unemployed

Labor and the construction union say it makes no sense to bring in workers from interstate in the middle of a pandemic as the Premier hits back, saying the “witch hunt” has to stop. Latest >>

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LABOR and the building union have questioned why interstate workers are being given quarantine exemptions to come to Tasmania when the state has plenty of local tradies looking for jobs.

The Government has come under fire after THA chief Steve Old thanked DPIPWE secretary Tim Baker for helping get workers into the state to complete the Kalis Crowne Plaza hotel project.

The THA and Kalis were major Liberal Party donors in the lead-up to the 2018 state election.

Labor’s building and construction spokeswoman Jen Butler said it did not make sense to bring in workers — particularly from coronavirus hot spot Victoria.

“There are some cases where there should be special exemptions granted to people and we don’t have the skills here in Tasmania,” she said.

“However, it is our understanding that the Government are providing special exemptions in cases where we do have those skills in Tasmania.

“We have some of the best carpenters, plasterers and joiners in the country here in Tasmania that are now unemployed and still the Government is bringing in interstate workers to do their jobs.”

CFMMEU organiser Richard Hassett. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union organiser Richard Hassett said safety was being put at risk so cheap labour could be brought into the state.

“It beggars belief that we’ve got construction workers coming in from all over the country into Tasmania when currently we’ve got borders locked down here,” he said.

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“It seems to be an open door to the Premier’s office for his Liberal Party mates to bring their construction workers in, that quite clearly aren’t essential service workers.

“On the Kalis Group’s hotel site it was joiners. There’s plenty of Tasmanian joiners that are out of work at the moment who could have done that job.”

State Controller Darren Hine on Thursday said 4238 applications had been made for specialised skills exemptions to quarantine requirements, of which 1221 had been granted, along with 704 applications from 3313 on compassionate grounds.

Employers were required to provide written confirmation that the “appropriate skills were not available in Tasmania”.

Premier Peter Gutwein and Kalis Group managing director Emmanuel Kalis during the opening of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Premier Peter Gutwein said “the witch hunt has to stop”.

“People should stop vilifying these senior public servants in terms of the role that they had,” he said.

“It was very, very difficult the decisions that they had to make ... [and] those decisions were made at arm’s length from my Government and my ministers.”

He said he was unaware Tasmanian Hospitality Association chief Steve Old had sought help from the DPIPWE secretary for help getting workers in.

“In terms of the speech that was made yesterday, it surprised me, but at the end of the day, I don’t put words in people’s mouths,” Mr Gutwein said.

Independent MLC Meg Webb said an inquiry she proposed could have cleared the air around the issue — but such an inquiry was voted down by the Government.

“The real issue here is that we can’t deliver an answer to the Tasmanian people about whether something has in fact being done appropriately or inappropriately,” she said.

“It is in fact in the Government’s best interests to have this sort of Joint Select Committee in place, because what it can do is answer those open questions when they come up, has something wrong been done?”

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