The future of young Queenslanders looking for work remains bleak under the Labor Party’s Payroll Tax Rebate and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer John-Paul Langbroek said at a time when the Federal Government was easing the tax burden on small business in Queensland, the Palaszczuk-Gordon Government was making it tougher for them.

“Labor’s idea of creating jobs is to offer a new apprentice rebate to businesses that pay payroll tax,” Mr Langbroek said.

“Unfortunately that only applies to businesses with an annual wages bill of over $1.1 million – about three percent of businesses in Queensland.

“This policy does nothing to help the 400,000 small business across the state that don’t pay payroll tax and will not create any real jobs.

“By ignoring 97 percent of Queensland businesses, Labor is relying on three per cent of the business community to do the heavy lifting with regards to apprentices and training.

“This is another example of an inexperienced Government, continuing to make policy up on the run.”

Mr Langbroek said in contrast, the LNP proposed a plan that would have enabled small businesses across the State to employ more apprentices and to give more Queenslanders a job.

“The LNP had a number of policies in place to help apprentices and businesses. We planned to increase the payroll tax exemption threshold by $100,000 every year for the next three years, effectively taking it up to $1.4 million,” he said.

“This would have reduced the number of businesses having to pay payroll tax in Queensland and instead be able to reinvest in their business or employ more people.”

The former LNP Government was also planning to continue its popular Apprenticeship Pledge initiative which provided a $6000 incentive to businesses that took on an apprentice.

“It is no coincidence the LNP’s policies closely align with what the small business community wants, because we actually listened to them and their concerns and implemented policies that we knew would stimulate growth and create real jobs,” Mr Langbroek said.

“With Labor’s restrictive policies no wonder business confidence in Queensland is presently the second lowest in Australia.”