Labor MPs will today join Hunter-region workers in Canberra to highlight the damage that the Abbott-Turnbull Government has had on jobs in our region.
Busloads of Hunter workers will be met by Sharon Claydon, Pat Conroy, Joel Fitzgibbon and Jill Hall at the Australian Jobs Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House, where they will deliver a message to the Liberal Government.
“This Liberal Government has done nothing to support the jobs of today or prepare for the jobs of the future. The maritime, mining and manufacturing sectors have been particularly hard hit with thousands of jobs lost in the Hunter,” Ms Claydon said.
“Manufacturing is our region’s third largest employer but this government has done nothing to support the industry. There were more than 1000 highly-skilled men and women working in the shipbuilding industry in 2013 now there’s just a handful, as the Liberal Government sends more and more jobs offshore. Likewise, this Government has abandoned Australian seafarers replacing them with foreign crews instead,” Ms Claydon said.
“Malcolm Turnbull leads a Government that has all but abandoned science, research, innovation and industry. They abolished Labor’s $1 billion jobs plan, which would have provided regions like ours an opportunity to build world-class Innovation Precincts,” Mr Conroy said.
“When it comes to jobs, this Government’s record is abysmal, but when it comes to Hunter jobs it is absolutely shameful. I’ll be standing shoulder to shoulder with Hunter workers today to spread the word that our community is being irreparably damaged by Malcolm Turnbull and his Government,” Mr Conroy said.
“Many workers who have lost their jobs in the Hunter are fifty years of age or more and have spent most of their working lives in the mines. They don’t have skills readily transferable to other occupations and this government has failed to deliver any support for today or direction for these workers’ future. Malcolm Turnbull expects Australians to work until they’re 70 but can’t deliver the jobs,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“People need job security for their families to pay their bills and mortgages. But the Turnbull government has no plan for jobs in the Hunter, just job losses and uncertainty. Even the public sector is feeling the pain with services such as Medicare offices forced to close down. The Turnbull government needs to work harder and stand up for local jobs, not cut them.” Ms Hall said.
TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2016
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
HON. JOEL FITZGIBBON MP
MEMBER FOR HUNTER
SHARON CLAYDON MP
MEMBER FOR NEWCASTLE
JILL HALL MP
MEMBER FOR SHORTLAND
PAT CONROY MP
MEMBER FOR CHARLTON
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