More than 25,000 jobs have been lost from WA’s resources sector in the past year as the Abbott Governments sits on its hands and refuses to plan for the state’s future.

 

This week the ABC reported geologists and engineers were among the hardest hit by the mining industry’s shift to the operations phase, with up to 1000 engineers out of work.

 

Last weekend The Sunday Times revealed barely half of new UWA graduates were able to find full-time jobs.

 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this week reported that 920 jobs in the renewable energy industry were lost from WA alone since 2011-12.

 

And now the IMF has joined the fray, warning of further job losses in Australia as iron ore demand continues to drop in China.

 

Despite WA’s weak outlook for new jobs creation, the Abbott Government has no jobs plan to ease the pain of the state’s transition from construction to operations in the resources sector.

 

Joe Hockey had failed to confront the problem, and his last economic review (MYEFO) had absurd blue-sky forecasts for growth in WA.

 

The Abbott Government’s dishonesty and incompetence is hurting Western Australia – it’s hurting the economy and it’s hurting jobs.

 

Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey should urgently come to WA and outline their plans to stimulate jobs for WA in this rapidly deteriorating environment.

 

Today, Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for WA Alannah MacTiernan will host a forum to discuss the offshoring of engineering jobs and the lack of graduate opportunities with engineers and industry leaders from across WA.

 

Mr Shorten and Ms MacTiernan will also tour an engineering facility in Bassendean to look at the myriad opportunities for WA in the advanced manufacturing sector.

 

THURSDAY, 16 APRIL, 2015

 

Media contacts:        LEADER’S OFFICE MEDIA UNIT – 02 6277 4053

mARK SCOTT (MacTiernan) – 0413 381 060