Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to make a second statement.

Leave granted.

Toyota's announcement that it would cease manufacturing and put 2½ thousand employees out of work was devastating news to my electorate. Now, the fate of more than 1,000 more workers at the Williamstown shipyards hangs in the balance. These jobs will be lost in the coming weeks unless the Abbott government delivers new defence contracts to BAE Systems.

BAE have made it absolutely clear that they must make a decision on the future of the Williamstown shipyards by the end of April, yet last week the Minister for Defence, David Johnston, provided this response to this urgent issue:

The coalition was elected on a promise to create one million new jobs, yet already 63,000 jobs have been lost. This government's failure to fight for workers and jobs is shameful. It is time for defence minister David Johnston to save this vital industry, not with useless words but by providing it with a contract, a contract that would ensure that world-class naval construction skills are kept in Australia and are not lost—a contract that even the Victorian Liberal Premier is calling on the Abbott government to provide.

It seems that it will take public pressure to save this industry, pressure that will come only by signing my petition, which is available on my website. This petition has gained widespread community support, with over a thousand people signing so far. The petition sends an important message that the community is unwilling to see further jobs sacrificed by an uncaring government. The petition calls on Tony Abbott to act now to save Williamstown's maritime shipyard and stand up for Australian jobs. I say to the people of Melbourne's west: sign my petition, and then hopefully the Abbott government will sign a contract and save the Williamstown shipyards.