The Restart program offers business operators a payment of up to $10,000 during a 12-month period if they take on an employee aged 50 or older.

The jobseeker must be registered as unemployed with Centrelink for six months after they have spent their redundancy.

Country Labor Orange branch president Bernard Fitzsimon said it was “prolonging the agony” for people who must wait before they could join the job search.

Mr Cobb said Country Labor’s push to introduce an exemption for Calare by removing the six-month waiting period and the age requirement was not feasible.

“It shows a lack of understanding of the federal government’s employment programs, which helps a range of job seekers into work, including workers from the mines and Electrolux,” he said.

“The statement concerning an exemption for Calare shows this was a political statement and not a seriously thought-out proposal, once again revealing a lack of understanding.”

Mr Cobb said the Restart program aimed to make sure people over 50 had a competitive advantage over younger job seekers in gaining employment. 

“Through offering a wage subsidy of $10,000 local businesses have an incentive to employ people who fall into this age group, who often have a lot of experience and are of real benefit to every workforce,” he said.

Mr Cobb said changing Restart to include younger workers was likely to disadvantage long-term uneployed people in Orange who were aged 50 and over. 

“Jobseekers in Calare are encouraged to utilise the government’s new $6.8 billion Jobactive service, putting people in touch with employers,” he said.

“As part of Jobactive, the $1.2 billion redesigning wage subsidies pool will encourage employers to take on new staff.”

tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au