Trains Built with Forced Labour Instead of Ballarat Workers
Bev McArthur MP said that the Labor Government’s decision to build trains in China by beneficiaries of forced labour instead of in Ballarat is demonstrative of their perpetual neglect for the interests of Western Victoria.
The Age revealed late on Sunday Night, that the Andrews Labor Government contracted a Chinese company, that is blacklisted by the US Government and which allegedly has a history of sourcing supplies from forced labour factories, to build Melbourne’s trains for $2.3 billion.
The Victorian Government reportedly chose the Chinese company over an option which would have resulted in the trains being manufactured in Ballarat rail workshop, Alstom.
“Alstom is constantly used as a political football by Labor, who turn up at election time to promise a short-term contract in an effort to buy votes in Ballarat.”
“But when push came to shove, Labor chose beneficiaries of forced Uighur labour in China over our factories in Western Victoria.”
“The Premier’s priorities lie with strengthening his relationship with a foreign power that puts tariffs on Victorian farmers, instead of backing our regional communities.”
“Alstom is a significant employer and highly regarded in Ballarat, even paying workers to carrying out community jobs like gardening and cleaning, while the Government was twiddling its thumbs trying to figure out if they’d give them a new contract last year.”
“$2.3 billion is an extraordinary contract that would’ve gone a long way to revitalise the Ballarat economy, directly employing hundreds of workers and hundreds more in all the local small businesses which depend on their disposable incomes.”
“This decision is a disgrace and further evidence that the Labor Government has no regard for anything outside the tram tracks of Melbourne.”
5 October 2020