Labor’s candidate for Robertson, Ms Anne Charlton, joined Labor leader, Mr Bill Shorten, and Senator for NSW, Ms Deborah O’Neill, on April 19, to reaffirm Labor’s commitment to support local manufacturing job creation and deliver better access to affordable healthcare.
Ms Charlton joined Mr Shorten and Sen O’Neill for a tour of the CSR Hebel manufacturing plant in Somersby.
CSR Hebel employs 118 workers and will soon be the largest aerated concrete manufacturer in the world.
However, the manufacturer will likely face energy bill increases of 25 per cent, year on year.
Mr Shorten used the opportunity to warn of a growing crisis for manufacturing jobs in Australia.
“The price of gas is going up and up and up” Mr Shorten said.
“The truth is this; Australian gas belongs to Australians and Australian companies.
“They should get the opportunity to buy it first” Mr Shorten said.
“We don’t want to see the future jobs growth of blue collar jobs, manufacturing jobs, Australian jobs, jeopardised because we’ve got a federal government too weak to stand up to gas companies.”
Ms Charlton joined Mr Shorten’s call for affordable gas supplies and more local job creation.
“Local manufacturers, like this one, need the security of an affordable gas supply to keep their doors open and employ more locals,” Ms Charlton said.
“In March the ABS revealed that the Central Coast shed more jobs, with youth unemployment rising by 0.7 per cent to 15.6 per cent in February.
“Unemployment also continued its stubborn high of 5.3 per cent in February.
“The ‘Jobs and Growth’ slogan of Mr Turnbull from the last election campaign has been exposed as all talk but no action,” Ms Charlton said
“Locals want to see a representative who fights and delivers jobs for our community not a government of sloganeers,” she added.
Mr Shorten, Ms Charlton and Sen O’Neill then joined local health professionals including representatives from Brisbane Waters Private Hospital, local nurses and GP’s to discuss health issues affecting the region.
“Labor’s commitment to Medicare is ironclad and we are determined to deliver affordable healthcare for the Central Coast,” Ms Charlton said.
Source:
Media release, Apr 19
Anne Charlton, Labor candidate for Robertson