State Labor funding green activists to destroy jobs

THE State Labor Government needs to explain why they have given Mackay Conservation Group $5 for every job they kill off for workers desperate for employment.There are some serious questions which need to be answered by the Palaszczuk Government regarding their $50,000 donation to Mackay Conservation Group in the wake of the latest delay to Adani’s Carmichael Coal Project.The Premier of this state needs to explain why she wants to fund a group who are hell-bent on destroying the biggest job-creating project on the table.

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Extreme greens put skink and snake ahead of workers desperate for jobs

THE Mackay Conservation Group are feeling victorious about their misguided campaign to put the welfare of the Yakka Skink and Ornamental Snake ahead of thousands of Mackay and Bowen workers desperate for jobs, but the court case victory they are crowing about today is a hollow one.I have spoken to Minister Greg Hunt’s office this morning and what has happened here is largely an administrative issue which should be resolved within six to eight weeks.

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Green Army a tool for young job-seekers

YOUNG people looking for jobs are urged to consider joining the Green Army and groups with ideas for projects should come forward as applications for Round 4 of the program are now open.We’ve had some great projects undertaken locally by the Green Army, which is a program which benefits both the environment and young people keen to gain some more skills which might lead to permanent jobs.Participants aged between 17 and 24 will be able to undertake accredited training such as work readiness, conservation and land management, heritage conservation, project and human resource management and heritage trade skills.They will be supported to obtain Certificate I or II qualifications or nationally endorsed skills to help them prepare for the workforce or improve their career opportunities, and they’ll also receive a Green Army allowance while they do so.

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Legal counter-offensive needed to save jobs

THE predictable extreme green tactic of mounting legal challenges to derail coal projects and stop the flow of jobs needs to be eliminated with a legal counter-offensive.I question the authority of those mounting court actions which currently hold seven Queensland projects to ransom, costing an estimated $1million a day in lost production.Who gives these self-styled guardians of the environment the authority to mount these court challenges which have been going on for more than two years?

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LNP backs George for third term

28 JULY 2015: THE Liberal National Party executive today affirmed its commitment to me as the Federal Member for Dawson, recommending my endorsement as the LNP candidate at the next federal election. It has been an honour to represent North Queensland in the electorate for the past two terms and I look forward to continuing to fight for jobs and better outcomes for families in the North.

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Grants to support practical environment projects

28 JULY 2015: PRACTICAL measures to improve the environment will be backed by a new round of funding through the Liberal National Government’s National Landcare Programme. A total of $135,000 will be offered through the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region by Reef Catchments through their Looking After Local Landscapes initiative.

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Next step in ice fight

AN interim report from the National Ice Taskforce which has been presented to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) by the Prime Minister has identified six key areas which need attention in the fight against the drug scourge.These are welcome findings, and they are largely those which were raised at the two Ice Forums I conducted in Mackay and Bowen last month.The difficulties faced by family members battling to help someone who has fallen prey to the addiction, and the ease of access to a drug which has such devastating effects. were two things which stood out for me.

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Calling on our allies to seal a sweet deal

I'M urging our allies on many battlefields to once again recognise the historically strong relationship between Australia and the United States and come up with a sweet deal for sugar in the US Trans Pacific Partnership.Negotiators head to Hawaii next week for what could be the final round of talks, and we need a strengthened sugar trading relationship.Queensland sugar cane growers will be understandably devastated if we do not see an outcome of a commercially significant agreement on sugar with the US.

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No support for new taxes

PEOPLE don’t want a hip-pocket hit; they want to see governments live within their means.State premiers have gathered in Sydney today for a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) retreat.Some premiers are making noises about raising the GST, while others are suggested a hip-pocket hit by raising the Medicare levy.I’m opposed to both because people want governments to live within their means and stop wasteful spending.

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New controls for Aussie-made

IMPORTING ingredients and simply slicing them here will no longer qualify as Australian-made.The Liberal National Government has approved a new system for Country of Origin labelling, which should start to appear on supermarket shelves later this year.These changes are good news for Australian jobs and Australian farmers because shoppers will have better information at their fingertips.Consumers will be able to make a quick comparison of products on the shelves and digital options are also being developed so consumers who want more detailed information can get it.

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Get moving on Mackay Ring Road

AS 600 jobs wait in the wings, I'm calling on the State Main Roads Minister to pull out all stops to build the Mackay Ring Road.The Federal Government had supplied most of the money needed to execute Stage One of the $565 million Stage One project, but it is now up to Minister Mark Bailey to stump up with the resources to get it happening.Our city is in dire need of major projects like the Mackay Ring Road to deliver jobs and stimulate our economy.And while the Abbott Government has done its part to help with the process, I’m pushing for some serious action at the State level.

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Businesses invest in staff

A CANNONVALE business will be able to invest in training their staff thanks to a $9000 Federal Government Industry Skills Fund (ISF) grant, announced by the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham.I caught up with Paul Carmichael, right, the owner of Airlie Glass and Aluminium, today to congratulate him as well as his staff Kevin Scott and Cathy Reents.Paul's business will benefit from more than $9,000 through the Government’s ISF which will support staff members in completing a Certificate IV in Glass and Glazing.

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Massive boost to funds to fix roads

LOCAL roads and streets across the region have received a major boost with more than $13 million in extra funding being made available to our councils for vital road upgrades through the Roads to Recovery Programme over the next two years.The extra money will flow as a result of the passage through Federal Parliament of the fuel excise indexation legislation.This is a huge additional boost to Mackay Regional Council, Whitsunday Regional Council and the Burdekin Shire Council and if more roadworks can be undertaken, more jobs can be created.

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