Far North Queensland urgently needs a jobs plan from the Morrison Government and local manufacturing should be a core component.

Cairns-based Labor Senator Nita Green has today launched a Bring Manufacturing Back Home campaign to call on the Morrison Government to put regional Queensland at the centre of any plan for economic recovery.

Manufacturing matters to regional Queenslanders and still employs almost one million Australians across the country despite Federal Government neglect.

After seven years of LNP Government, Australia ranks last in manufacturing self-sufficiency when compared to the world’s developed economies and total employment in the sector has dropped 9.6 per cent since 2010.

Across the Leichhardt and Kennedy electorates more than 12,495 workers have lost their jobs since December.

Far North Queensland is renowned for its marine manufacturing, steel fabrication and sugar processing.

Senator Green said Far North Queensland could benefit from massive jobs growth and cheaper energy costs with the right Federal support.

“Far North Queensland businesses deserve to know what the LNP’s plan is to get the region through the COVID-19 crisis and save jobs,” Senator Green said.

“The LNP’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility was supposed to deliver $5 billion worth of investment in five years, but at its current rate it will take 150 years for that funding to get out the door.

“The Morrison Government has also snubbed Labor’s call for bipartisanship on energy policy. Manufacturers need energy certainty, not band aid solutions, to deliver more jobs in the decades to come.”

Instead of delivering a plan to protect jobs the LNP has cut $3 billion from TAFE and cut 2385 apprentices and traineeships in Far North Queensland since coming to power seven years ago. 
 
 
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