EMMA MCBRIDE

Why the Coast needs a jobs plan

 EMMA MCBRIDE

2020 has truly been a year like no other. First the summer bushfires, then floods and now the virus. Just as we have before, our community has pulled together in this crisis.

But, this time, no amount of looking out for and aft er one another, physical distancing, working from home, home schooling or other protective measures will be enough on its own to fi x the economic crisis we are now facing.

What we need is national leadership, and a clear plan to see us through these diffi cult times and set our economy up for the future, because there cannot be a national recovery without the regions being a big part of the story.

But, fi rst, a quick look back.

Against the backdrop of the virus outbreak and rising unemployment, it can be easy to forget that Australian families, businesses and the national economy were struggling well before most of us had ever heard of coronavirus.

Economic growth was down, underemployment was at record highs, household debt was around record highs, business investment had collapsed, and government debt had doubled to a record high.

Many of the problems in our economy have not been caused by the pandemic, just accelerated by it.

We’ve seen this happen on the Central Coast.

Before the virus, the youth unemployment rate was 14.6 per cent, and we had the highest rate of underemployment for women in Australia at 34 per cent.

Coasties doing it tough

Just as we’ve seen nationally, the pre-existing weaknesses have been exacerbated in our community by this global health crisis and associated downturn. Ten thousand local jobs have been lost since restrictions began in March, and there are now 34 job seekers on the Coast for every one job vacancy.

Coasties were doing it tough before and they are doing it tougher now.

Scott Morrison needs a genuine jobs plan that recognises a million Australians are already unemployed and 400,000 people are expected to lose their jobs by Christmas.

By contrast, Labor’s priority has always been to protect jobs and support

workers, businesses and communities during and aft er the crisis.

We have been and will continue to be responsible and constructive as this virus continues to unfold. When the Morrison Government has made the right decisions, we’ve welcomed the measures but too oft en they’ve left people out or been designed with the big cities in mind.

In the middle of this fi rst recession in 30 years, much more needs to be done to protect jobs, create new jobs and prevent more Australians being left behind.

Job-creating infrastructure should be a central part of a Coast jobs plan. Instead the Central Coast has been excluded from the Liberals’ and Nationals’ infrastructure list with the last major project – the M1 upgrade – funded by Anthony Albanese when Labor was last in government.

Communities like ours across the country need and deserve a plan from the Morrison Government to promote growth, protect jobs and create new jobs.

Th e Central Coast is a proud, hard-working community and with the right support we’ll have the best shot at a strong recovery and a bett er future for our region.

Emma McBride MP is Federal Member for Dobell.