Cross River Rail: Union targets Kate Jones for ‘selling out Qld jobs’
The CFMEU has launched a campaign against senior Cross River Rail Minister Kate Jones, claiming the government’s promise of 2000 jobs had failed to materialise, with just 350 to 400 people employed and many from interstate and overseas.
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THE powerful CFMEU has launched a campaign against senior Cross River Rail Minister Kate Jones, claiming she’s “selling out Queensland jobs” in a move that could have consequences for the election campaign.
Thousands of pamphlets criticising Ms Jones for her “Cross River Fail” were yesterday jammed in letterboxes around Ashgrove, in her state seat of Cooper.
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It came as full-page ads were today run in newspapers, including The Courier-Mail, claiming the Palaszczuk Government’s promise of 2000 jobs had failed to materialise, with just 350 to 400 people employed and many on insecure labour hire agreements or from interstate and overseas.
The action is part of a long-simmering fight over contractors being used on the $5.4 billion signature infrastructure project that could impact Labor’s election chances.
It is not yet known how the tensions will feed into the building union’s willingness to fundraise and proactively pour resources into a campaign for the October 31 poll.
CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar said Cross River Rail had “failed spectacularly to deliver on its promise” as he criticised the main contractor, CPB.
“A reputable and responsible construction company does not manage to chalk up more than 70 safety breaches – many of them serious – in just seven months,” Mr Ravbar said.
“The government has a very clear policy when it comes to major projects that stipulates local content, local procurement, local jobs and apprenticeships and training. CPB is not fulfilling a single one of these requirements.
“Kate Jones can use the same playbook as (former Cross River Rail minister) Jackie Trad and pretend everything is fine.
“Or she can fix this.”
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