Senator clueless on sugar industry
Moves by NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm to reverse a hard-fought decision to introduce a sugar marketing code of conduct are both ignorant and arrogant.Senator Leyonhjelm wants to scrap the Sugar Marketing Code of Conduct, and he claims he has the support of Labor senators to do so.This is an arrogant stance by a NSW Senator with no experience or understanding of the sugar industry.He calls cane farmers ‘socialists’ and he says their arguments for a right to a say over who markets their sugar are ‘piss-weak’.
Labor should be fair dinkum on penalty rates
I HAVE issued a challenge to the Labor Party to prove they are fair dinkum about cuts to penalty rates, regardless of who is making the decisions.I moved an amendment to a Labor bill, stating that any move to address cuts to penalty rates due to the Fair Work Commission decision must also address cuts in penalty rates negotiated between big unions and big business.I oppose the reduction of any take home pay through changes to penalty rates, whether it comes about by the Fair Work Commission decision or union approved agreements.
Labor Senators ‘don’t give a damn’ about jobs
LABOR senators can’t spent an extra few hours in Canberra to ensure thousands of workers get on the job sooner to build the Carmichael mine, port and rail line.This is the frustrating result of a series of last minute amendments and stalling in the Senate which has pushed off a vote on the Native Title Act for another month.Although Labor said they would support the necessary amendments to the Native Title Act which has essentially frozen a number of projects, including Adani’s Carmichael mine project, over indigenous land use agreements, they have managed to stall the process and further delay job creation.It’s just another example of the so-called ‘party of the workers’ failing to do what is necessary to support workers not only in Central and North Queensland, but also workers in South Australia at Arrium who will have job security through the company’s deal to supply steel to build the Carmichael rail line.The necessary amendments to the Native Title Act were scheduled for a vote in the Senate yesterday.
Where’s the commitment from Labor?
A lack of commitment from Labor could lead to a net gain of zero for the region if the unthinkable happens and a Shorten Labor Government is elected.This region will miss out unless Labor stumps up and puts some commitments on the table for the people of this region.Labor needs to commit to at least the same funding that the Liberal National Government has committed to.The Coalition has a number of election commitments on the table already.
Labor-Greens alliance would end Adani project
A Labor-Greens government would spell the end for the Adani Carmichael Mine Project and the thousands of jobs it would provide.This has been made crystal clear by Greens and Labor candidates this week.If the Greens get to power-share in a Labor minority government, we can kiss the Carmichael Mine Project goodbye because the Greens will push to overturn the mine approval and sound the death knell on the thousands of jobs it would create.Greens Senator Larissa Waters has said the Adani mine should never have been approved.So this is how it would play out if we ended up in the mess of having a Labor-Greens minority government.
Why won’t Bill Shorten support job-creating projects for CQ workers?
LABOR leader Bill Shorten has confirmed that his government will do nothing to support the workers of Central and North Queensland who are desperate to see Adani’s Carmichael Mine Project go ahead.Why is Mr Shorten so opposed to the project when it’s vital for the economy of the region?Mr Shorten said in Mackay today, and I quote ‘The Commonwealth Government I lead wouldn’t be putting taxpayers’ money into the Adani mine.’
Labor plan a threat to farmers’ livelihoods
AS if farmers don't have enough to deal with when it comes to tree clearing laws, we now have Federal Labor pollies from city seats announcing fancy plans to introduce more ‘green police’.Bill Shorten has announced a plan to overrule state tree clearing policies, and send in Federal 'green police to tell farmers what they can and can't do on their own land.So we would have jumped-up federal bureaucrats flashing badges, stopping landholders from doing the work needed to run a normal farming enterprise.Only city slickers like Bill Shorten would come up with such a restrictive and blatantly unfair policy.
Labor plan for another carbon tax whack
Labor’s announcement today that they would essentially bring back a carbon tax if elected beggars belief.The Opposition’s climate plan also includes an option for them to further restrict farmers’ ability to clear their own land.Labor’s fearless leader Bill Shorten will go blindly where Labor leaders before him have gone, and that’s down the path of introducing a carbon tax which will cost jobs and drive up power prices.Shorten has announced that a Labor Government will introduce an emissions reduction target of 45 per cent by 2030, so this would essentially double Australia’s emissions reduction targets.
Hollow boast from Labor candidate
Labor’s claim on approving the Carmichael Mine (Bowen Independent, 6/4/16, P8) is a hollow boast, considering Labor are still holding up the approval of the Abbot Point port expansion.The Labor Party ran a half page ad for their candidate in the upcoming federal election but what they failed to mention was they’re still yet to approve the Abbot Point port expansion.In fact Labor’s State Environment Minister Steven Miles is on the record stating he will not issue the Abbot Port approval until Adani has the finance for the project.
Fighting threat to jobs and truckie businesses
THE fight is on to protect the livelihoods of owner driver truckies whose future hangs in the balance over a disastrous ruling by a tribunal established by the former Gillard Labor government and stacked with Labor appointees.The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, a body set up by the previous Labor Government, has ruled that owner driver truckies can only be engaged by clients at a minimum payment rate, which is above that of employee truck drivers, effectively pricing them out of business.While the new rate is set to take effect from 4 April, both owner drivers and the Federal Liberal National Government have intervened to request the start date be pushed back until next year to enable further consideration of a move that could put thousands of owner drivers out of business.
Labor shows lack of support for Adani jobs
I have called on Dawson Labor candidate Frank Gilbert to decide whether he supports the development of Adani’s Carmichael Coal Project which will create thousands of much-needed jobs in the region.Mr Gilbert is telling people desperate for jobs that he supports Adani, but at the same time he’s attacking the project on social media.Last night Mr Gilbert attended a Bowen Chamber of Commerce meeting where I was guest speaker, and he told that audience that he supported the Adani project.But earlier this month on Facebook, Mr Gilbert posted a link to an article which attacked the Carmichael Coal Project and he himself commented that it was “ignorant and irresponsible” to back the fossil fuel industry.
Other worker options in horticulture
I will support the Bowen Gumlu Growers in their push for a 15% flat rate of tax for backpackers. But growers should also consider other options when looking for workers.Growers need to realise though, that this is going to be very difficult to achieve.And though it's labelled a backpacker tax, this is not a tax.It’s the removal of the tax-free threshold which was increased from $6000 to $18,000 only a few years ago.The difficulty is this measure represents a $540 million saving to the Budget bottom line, and it’s going to be extremely difficult to find another avenue to recoup that saving.