Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has personally written to Tasmanian timber workers backing their jobs and industry in an intervention that comes as the timber worker union, CFMEU Manufacturing, releases a scorecard that highlights the gaps in the Coalition policy.
In his letter Mr Albanese said that Labor supported the Tasmanian timber industry. Source: Timberbiz
“My shadow minister responsible for forestry, Julie Collins, has repeatedly expressed her strong support for your sector, both to the industry and around the decision-making table,” he wrote.
“She is a strong and effective advocate for Tasmania in Canberra. I promise you that if I become Prime Minister, a Government I lead will not shut down the native forest industry in Tasmania.
“The Greens have tried to take my job for the last 20 years – I have beaten them every time and I will take up the fight against them to protect your job too.”
Scott McLean, Tasmanian District Secretary, CFMEU, Manufacturing, said Mr Albanese’s support in the letter for native forest harvesting and repudiation of the Greens’ plans to shut down the Tasmanian industry was particularly welcomed.
“Timber workers and their communities have received important assurances about their jobs from a man who has fought, and beaten, the Greens his whole career,” Mr McLean said.
“We’ve also taken a close look at what the Coalition have proposed, and their policy leaves workers short when compared to the Labor policy.”
Labor scored 4.5 stars out of five with the Coalition only making it to 2.5 stars. The Australian Forest Products Association gave the Opposition four stars, and the Coalition five stars.
“Workers are looking for initiatives that will address the national timber shortage, grow more plantations for the future and invest in skills and training,” CFMEU National Secretary, Manufacturing, Michael O’Connor said.
“Labor’s policies do that, and unfortunately, the Coalition have not,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Scott Morrison said that his government does not sneer at the jobs of regional Australians; but having had the opportunity to back up his words with actions, he has failed to match Labor’s superior policies. He has particularly failed to make commitments around domestic processing and skills development and training,”
The union had asked Coalition members to commit to undertaking an assessment of logs exported and wasted which could be used to help alleviate the crippling national timber shortage, and to abandon the inclusion of forestry in the controversial Agriculture visa.
“A modern industry needs a skilled local workforce, not a reliance on temporary labour prone to exploitation, and they need a government who stands with workers. Workers expected more from Mr Morrison but have instead received a strong series of commitments from Mr Albanese,” Mr O’Connor said.
To read Mr Albanese’s letter click Albanese letter
The CFMEU has also launched a new industry video on Facebook at https://fb.watch/d5j_NjkIzi/
