Official figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in relation to regional jobs growth have drawn criticism from the member for Ripon, Louise Staley.
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Ms Staley said the figures showed the government had not lived up to its promise of creating full-time jobs in the north-west region.
She said the figures revealed that the local unemployment rate had risen by 0.7 per cent since December 2014 to reach 5.9 per cent in December 2015.
“These figures show the Andrews Labor Government’s Back to Work Scheme has been a total failure for our region,” Ms Staley said.
However, the claim by Ms Staley that 12,492 full-time jobs had been lost in north-west Victoria, which includes Stawell, Charlton, Donald, St Arnaud and Ararat, since Daniel Andrews came to office, has been strongly rejected by the government.
Minister for Regional Development, Jaala Pulford, said the figures actually confirmed continued jobs growth in regional Victoria, with 15,600 more people employed in three months to December 2015.
Ms Pulford said there was a significant jump in full time employment in particular, with an additional 13,000 full time positions created.
“This strong employment result shows that we are getting on with helping people in regional Victoria with jobs and giving them the opportunity to play their part in Victoria’s ongoing economic success story,” Ms Pulford said.
"From primary production to tourism, the Andrews Labor Government is getting on with making regional Victoria the place to live, work and play."
