State holds up flow of jobs at Abbot Point
JOBS that would have been created at Abbot Point will be on hold this year because the State Labor Government continues to drag the chain on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the port expansion.I have been advised by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt that the State government had not submitted an EIS for the port expansion despite State Mines Minister Anthony Lynham claiming on ABC radio today that the EIS had been lodged with the Commonwealth.This unacceptable delay by the State Labor government has cost jobs this year and these are jobs so desperately needed right now by communities across North Queensland such as Mackay, Bowen and Townsville.
Jobs for region is top priority for Nationals
IN a meeting of the Nationals Party Room in Rockhampton yesterday, Member for Dawson George Christensen spearheaded a move to affirm the party’s position on a range of issues pertaining to jobs.The position statement, which covered regional investment and job assistance programs through to controversial matters such as foreign workers and 100% FIFO, was adopted jointly by the Nationals and a statement was issued by the party leader, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.The statement spelt out in clear terms that the Nationals support Australian workers getting Australian jobs, and only when it can be proven that there are no available Australian workers to fill job vacancies should foreign workers be considered.It also affirmed the Nationals’ stance that companies locking workers out of jobs based on where they live amounted to geographic discrimination; Central Queensland workers should always have the ability to apply for Central Queensland jobs.
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.
NQ sugar jobs worth fighting for
8 AUGUST 2015: AS FAR as North Queensland is concerned, sugar in the deal-breaker in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Trade Minister Andrew Robb left negotiations in Hawaii without a deal on the weekend and without sugar on the table that’s a good thing.
Bruce Highway fix to create 100 jobs
8 AUGUST 2015: A BRUCE Highway fix at Yellow Gin Creek (between Bowen and Ayr) will create around 100 jobs over the life of the project.
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?
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.
Demanding a fair deal on ring road contracts
27 JULY 2015: JOBS and contracts generated by the Mackay Ring Road Project need to flow to Mackay workers and Mackay businesses, and contractors have the right to expect they will be paid a competitive rate.
Disunity over Labor's promised power price hike
23 JULY 2015: Labor leader Bill Shorten’s promise to raise electricity prices has driven a wedge between himself and the unions, with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) issuing a warning against the move.
South Pacific alliance aids superyacht industry
A NEW alliance to promote superyachting in the South Pacific region will help the Whitsundays create more jobs as it becomes established as a destination. South Pacific Superyachting, a collaboration between Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Fiji, aims to double both the number of superyachts that currently visit the South Pacific annually, and the number of days they spend in the region by 2018.