Geelong jobs boost blow
Libs under fire for losing $5b defence contract
GEELONG’S federal Liberal MP and her government are under fire following revelations a $5 billion defence contract that would have boosted employment in Geelong is instead creating jobs in Germany.
State and Federal Labor MPs spoke out after it was revealed that the first batch of combat vehicles in the Land 400 contract will be manufactured in Germany — because the Queensland-backed contract winner wasn’t ready to build them.
Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson spent years spruiking the project as a local em- ployment booster — with 60 jobs promised for Geelong — only for her Government to award the contract to Queensland.
Corio federal Labor MP Richard Marles yesterday hit out at Ms Henderson for her inability to sway her party’s opinion for the benefit of her electorate.
“It says everything about the political effectiveness of the Member for Corangamite that for all her protestations about local jobs she is part of a government that is providing jobs in Germany and clearly does not care about Geelong,” Mr Marles said.
“… to be honest if I was a Queensland worker today I’d be feeling dudded as well.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should be “absolutely ashamed” Germany was building the first 25 tanks.
Labor’s Corangamite candidate Libby Coker said it was shameful to see jobs once proposed for Geelong landing overseas, and echoed concerns the contract had been awarded to Queensland to entice mar- ginal voters.
“Sarah Henderson and the Liberals have talked a lot about local jobs, yet when it comes to the crunch they’d rather play politics and spend this money in Queensland and overseas,” Ms Coker said.
“(The decision) is quite clearly politically driven given the winning bidder doesn’t even have an Australian factory ready to build these when us Victorians were ready to go on day one.”
Ms Henderson yesterday said it was “disappointing” to see the first 25 vehicles built overseas, but claimed it was consistent with the winning bidder’s tender offering.
Ms Henderson also moved to deflect the blame for Victoria missing out on the contract.
“It is, however, unforgivable that the Victorian Government did not do more to secure a commitment from Rheinmetall to build the Land 400 vehicles in Victoria,” Ms Henderson said.
The MP also claimed to have been told by an anonymous “senior Rheinmetall representative” that Victoria didn’t win the contract because it “did not want it enough and sided with the wrong team”.
Earlier this year the $5 billion LAND 400 contract to build 225 combat vehicles was awarded to German company Rheinmetall, with its operations to be based in Queensland.
The German manufacturer outgunned rival bidder BAE Systems, who had planned to base its operation out of Fishermans Bend in Melbourne — promising up to 60 supplychain jobs for Geelong.
In a tweet yesterday, Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the first 25 vehicles were to be made overseas, and would be assembled in Australia to train workers.