Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If the member for Dawson thinks he can stand in this place and talk about jobs for regional Queensland whilst he and the Turnbull government have repeatedly failed to deliver jobs for regional Queensland, then he has another thing coming. May I remind the member for Dawson, whose electorate also includes parts of Townsville, about some real facts around the dreadful state of jobs in Townsville. Since the LNP came to power, unemployment in Townsville has more than doubled. Townsville's unemployment rate when Labor left federal government in 2013 was lower than both the state and the national average. Now Townsville's unemployment rate is higher than the state average and almost double that of the national average.

Under the previous Labor government, manufacturing in Townsville was soaring. When Labor Left federal government in 2013, more than 8,400 people were employed in the manufacturing industry in Townsville. Under the Abbott-Turnbull governments, manufacturing has nosedived, with job losses of more than 3,000. There were 442 fewer construction industry business registrations in 2017, compared with 2012 figures. That's a loss of 153 retail business registrations in the same period.

Then there are the massive cuts that are being made by the LNP government to the public sector—110 ATO jobs in Townsville are gone, 50 Defence jobs are gone, 40 aviation jobs at No. 38 Squadron are gone, 19 CSIRO jobs are gone, and 30 customs jobs are gone. There has been job cut after job cut under the LNP. Whilst the government is cutting jobs in Townsville they're giving big business and the banks an $80 billion tax cut.

The member for Dawson is a better friend to the big banks than he is to the workers in his electorate, particularly in Townsville. Does the member for Dawson even know what projects will deliver jobs for Townsville? Let me inform him of three vital job-creating projects that Townsville needs: (1) long-term water security infrastructure; (2) energy infrastructure to lower the skyrocketing costs of electricity that have occurred under the Turnbull government; and (3) the port redevelopment, which will deliver more than $580 million in benefits to our regional community. The reality is that the member for Dawson and the Turnbull government have not funded one of these projects in their budget—not one cent. These projects will create jobs, deliver investment and ensure a boost to our local economy.

Labor understands regional Queensland, and that is why Labor is delivering real commitments. Labor understands the importance of these particular projects, and that is why we have committed funding to every single one of these vital projects. Unlike the member for Dawson, I have a track record of standing up and fighting for my community and actually delivering job-creating projects. I fought hard for the large infrastructure projects Townsville needs to ensure that our city has water and energy security. I fought hard for Labor's commitment of $200 million for hydroelectricity on the Burdekin Falls Dam, which will deliver 150 construction jobs. I fought hard for Labor's commitment of $100 million to ensure Townsville's long-term water security, and I fought hard for Labor's commitment of $75 million for the port expansion.

Where was the member for Dawson on these projects? The evidence is clear in the last budget: he is absolutely nowhere to be seen. The simple fact of the matter is that he has been unable to secure these three vital commitments from his government, so he has not delivered jobs for the Townsville community. The member for Dawson is Canberra's man in Dawson, not Dawson's man in Canberra.

I will always fight for jobs in my local community. Labor's plan for jobs in regional Queensland is clear, and if the member for Dawson can't match Labor's infrastructure commitments, then at the next election there will be another job loss in regional Queensland. I dare say it will be the member for Dawson, who has failed to deliver jobs for Townsville and regional Queensland, that will lose his own job.

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