Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today the Rann Government will now have to provide tax relief for small and medium sized businesses in the coming budget to try and offset job losses being announced regularly by companies such as AGL and BT.
AGL have announced they will be losing 200 full time positions from the South Australian office progressively over the next 12 months after the company’s merger with West Australian energy infrastructure company, Alinta.
“To lose 200 full time jobs is a great blow to the South Australian economy,” Mr Lucas said.
“This announcement comes on the top of 77 job cuts announced by Bankers Trust last week and a continuing series of job cuts announced by companies in the automotive industry in recent months.
“According to Mr. Rann, Adelaide is the cheapest city to do business in, yet we see decisions being made by companies to move services interstate as it is more economically viable for them.
“When AGL announced the merger, they advised that 1,000 jobs would be lost nationally due to downsizing. It’s disappointing to discover that 200 of those jobs are to be lost here in South Australia.
“Massive increases in state taxes and charges under the Rann Government have resulted in Mr. Rann being the highest taxing Premier in South Australia’s history.
“In the coming budget the Rann Government should look to provide tax relief, such as payroll tax cuts to help provide more jobs for workers such as the 200 losing their jobs at AGL today.”