HUNTER MISSES OUT AS GILLARD LABOR SENDS JOBS OFFSHORE

Bob Baldwin, Member for Paterson said the Gillard Labor Government had turned its back on Hunter workers, after awarding yet another contract to an overseas company.

The Gillard Labor Government signed off today on a multi million dollar contract to a Singapore-based company, for the double skinning of the hull of HMAS SUCCESS. This is despite a tender by Hunter-based company Forgacs.

“Member for Newcastle Sharon Grierson has stood by and watched at least 200 jobs go offshore that could have been employed at the Forgacs facility,” said Mr Baldwin.

“To make matters worse, Julia Gillard and Sharon Grierson stood and smiled in front of cameras in Newcastle today and made absolutely no mention of this issue, or the families that will be devastated by it.

“Ms Gillard and Ms Grierson also completely ignored the 200 workers  who are likely be without jobs because of them.

“Ms Grierson should have appealed to her leader to impress the importance of keeping jobs in the Hunter, but obviously that wasn’t on her priority list,” said Mr Baldwin.

HMAS Success was earmarked for double skinning to decrease its chances of spilling oil in the event of an accident.