Andrew Wilkie: I applaud Senator Lambie

“I applaud Senator Lambie for convening a cross-party conference in Canberra today to discuss the economic and jobs crisis on the West Coast of Tasmania.

Senator Lambie, representatives of the Labor and Greens parties and myself all attended,” Mr Wilkie said.

“The only federal politicians not to show up were Liberal Party Senators and Members. This demonstrated an appalling lack of understanding or sense of importance of the effect of recent mine closures on the West Coast and the effects this is having on hundreds of workers and their families.

“I call on the federal and state Liberal Governments to start showing some genuine interest in this matter, rather than going missing in action or just telling workers to ring Centrelink.

“The Liberal Party needs to provide immediate support to these workers, similar to the support provided to former Simplot and Caterpillar staff including immediate financial assistance and the upgrading of their Centrelink status to Stream 3, which brings much enhanced support.

“The Government also needs to immediately reinstate the Local Employment Co-ordinator, whose position was scrapped in the recent budget.

“The state and local governments then need to get serious about the economic problems in Tasmania more broadly.”
Independent Member for Denison Andrew Wilkie