Row over jobs funding

Pollies bicker over $20m package delay

POLITICAL daggers have been thrown over the long wait for the Federal Government to dish out a $20 million jobs package for the Far North.

But progress is happening faster in Cairns than anywhere else in the country.

The Far North’s Regional Jobs Investment Package planning committee will meet for the first time on Monday to decide what job-creating sectors should be targeted.

Chairman Trent Twomey said his committee would be the first of 10 around the country to meet.

“That shows the level of talent on the committee,” he said.

“We are pushing the Commonwealth as hard as we possibly can to ensure our plan is released imminently, so those funds can flow to businesses in the Cairns, Yarrabah and Douglas regions.”

The committee wants fund distribution to worthy projects to begin by July 1.

Terms of reference dictating how the program functions will be released tomorrow, despite Regional Development Minister Fiona Nash previously saying they would be out before the start of 2017.

Labor Senator Anthony Chisholm criticised Ms Nash and Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch for the delay.

“I doubt there will be any money out the door this financial year,” he said.

“Warren Entsch is more concerned with his own parliamentary pension than he is with locals getting jobs.”

Mr Entsch said the program should not be rushed.

“This money is being given away for a specific purpose,” he said.

“If we’re not cautious, that same other mob would criticise us for squandering the money.

“I would rather it take a little bit longer, get the right mix, and see these businesses absolutely prosper.”

Businesses will be asked to lodge expressions of interest after the guidelines have been released.