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Filed under: Economy, Election 2010, Politics, Question Time

11 comments

Can you believe today’s jobs figures? I don’t like the odds of the Government being able to resist another day of Barnaby bashing with that economic indicator under its belt.

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431Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself

390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin

336Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer

313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking

265Who murdered the Arts degree?

246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...

231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.

231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...

11 comments

Show oldest | newest first

- Justin says:
  
  12:48pm | 11/02/10
  
  Paid the power bill today?
  
  Reply
- Jonathan Appleyard says:
  
  01:00pm | 11/02/10
  
  Am I the only one who hasn’t been able to get this to work all week?
  
  Reply
- Ian Hanke says:
  
  01:02pm | 11/02/10
  
  Your comment:What is interestinfg about the job figures is the large number of casual/part time jobs - about 39,000. As the recovery continues we can expect to see an even larger number of casual positions created because of the ir laws.
  
  Reply
Phillip Dover says:

01:31pm | 11/02/10

I doubt the new IR laws are the motivator for most businesses at all : it’s that businesses are still being vigilent because of the GFC and are taking the (sensible) precuation of using casual/temp staffing as their demand ramps up. . . no business likes to sack people and this is a common sense approach until we are sure that the global recovery is sustained.
- Bob H says:
  
  01:41pm | 11/02/10
  
  Can’t believe people still take any notice of the job figures.
  
  Reply
Phillip Dover says:

01:45pm | 11/02/10

Why is that Bob H?
Bob H says:

02:45pm | 11/02/10

@Phillip D They smell of manilpulation, seasonally adjusted, over 50s put onto the pension numbers, only those registered unemployed are counted, but there are plenty looking for work that do not want to register. Agreed it may shows a general trend but I am not sure about the numbers.
Phillip Dover says:

03:09pm | 11/02/10

Bob H : The figures are not based on those registerd with Centrelink so you basic premise is incorrect - The figures are based on surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and capture people not registered for benefits . . . .
- Halberstram says:
  
  01:43pm | 11/02/10
  
  These figures really put into perspective the key indicator of economic management - Labor is quietly getting on with the job while the Coalition are throwing up characters like Barnaby Joyce on their “ecomonic"team!
  
  Reply
- Russ says:
  
  03:34pm | 11/02/10
  
  Sorry, Bob H, but there is no manipulation. The figures are collected the same way today as they were under Malcolm Fraser. They are not registered unemployed (which is capable of manipulation). There are many criticisms you can make of the unemployment statistics, but manipulation (at least directly) is not one of them.
  
  Reply
- Brad Coward says:
  
  03:45pm | 11/02/10
  
  Had a bit of a chuckle when the PM made some remark about the opposition asking questions to try and get the answer that it wants to hear. If only the opposition could get a question answered !
  
  Started to feel a bit sorry for Peter Garrett, for a short while…then got over it. Actually, I got over it when Garrett had Bowen drop by LATELINE to answer questions on his behalf. Perhaps Garrett was ordered not to appear and Bowen was seconded by a higher power ? Whatever, it was not a good look ! Could you imagine Bronwyn Bishop dropping in to answer questions on behalf of Barnaby Joyce ?
  
  Reply