Labor moves motion for inquiry into Cronulla Fisheries
Posted: Thursday, 21 June 2012 | By: Steve Whan
Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Steve Whan has successfully moved a motion establishing a parliamentary inquiry into the O'Farrell Government's decision to close the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre - to get to the bottom of the bungled decentralisation.
“This has been a process that would have looked farfetched even in an episode of Yes Minister," said Mr Whan.
"This has been a decentralisation that was dreamt up overnight with no cabinet submission, no costings and decisions on the run about where staff would go. To top it off we have seen staff being 'decentralised' to Mosman.
"Workers at Cronulla have tried everything to get to talk to the Minister, yet she has constantly ignored them.
"The workers have gone through all formal channels to request meetings and been rebuffed, they have protested at state parliament and even travelled to Katrina Hodgkinson's electorate office in Yass to try and get this Minister's attention.
“Labor, with the support of the Greens and the Christian Democrats, have succeeded at setting up an inquiry to get to the bottom of this botched process.
"This inquiry will finally get to the bottom of the O'Farrell Government's abysmal handling of this so-called decentralisation.
“There been rumours of cost blow outs and a leaked Cabinet document proving that the Minister did not follow the government's own due process.
“These workers don’t want to leave Cronulla, - the O'Farrell Government is sacrificing jobs, not relocating them.
“This inquiry may not be able to undo the incredible damage this incompetent Minister has done to fisheries research and the workers and their families, but it will at least give some transparency at last to this botched decision and provide an opportunity for the workers and the community to be heard.”
Tags: Barry O'Farrell, environment, Industrial relations, jobs, research, Steve Whan