Tasmanian Labor is calling on the Premier to lobby his Federal colleagues to extend JobKeeper beyond March.
Labor Leader Rebecca White said many of the state's businesses continue to rely on JobKeeper to keep their heads above water and Tasmanians in jobs.
"2020 has been an extraordinarily difficult year, with the loss of 20,000 jobs at the height of the pandemic and businesses pushed to the brink of collapse," Ms White said.
"And, despite early hope that those jobs were returning, there are now worrying signs that the recovery has stalled, with 2,600 jobs lost in the past month.
"With ongoing economic uncertainty and the Australian economy in recession for the first time in three decades, now is not the time to be scaling back wage support.
"Peter Gutwein's failure to stand up to his Liberal colleagues in Canberra and fight the recent cuts to JobKeeper was a betrayal of Tasmanian businesses and workers, who rely on the supplement to stay afloat.
"While the borders may have reopened, social distancing restrictions still apply, which means most businesses are operating at well below capacity.
"For as long as there are government-imposed restrictions on the ability of businesses to trade, there should be some level of government support available.
"The Premier must stand up for Tasmanian jobs and businesses and lobby the Federal Government to extend JobKeeper beyond March."
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
