One Nation: More coal and more jobs

ONE Nation leader Mark Latham took the opportunity to slam a Labor-Greens-union climate coalition as he officially endorsed Singleton businessman Dale McNamara as One Nation’s candidate for the Upper Hunter by-election today.

Mr McNamara, a former miner, was on-site at Morgan Engineering on Maison Dieu Rd in Singleton to announce his candidacy in the by-election, flanked by Mr Latham.

“The Upper Hunter can’t survive if we don’t have coal. We’ve had a gutful. I’ll stand up for people of the Upper Hunter and for the coal industry,” Mr McNamara said.

“There’s a lot of money that comes out of this valley and it’s got to come back here. There’s a lot of jobs in this valley, they’ve got to stay here. I’m here, I’ll do the job. I’ll stand here when the next election’s on and people will say ‘yes, you did what you said you were going to do’,” he said.

Mr McNamara who has various business interests in coal mining, agriculture, horse racing and the hospitality and tourism industries, said the growth of jobs and the economy in the Upper Hunter would be achieved through coal with a new coal-fired powered station and the development of new mines.

Mr Latham said the Upper Hunter would virtually become one big Centrelink office unless the mining industry was supported. 

“Dale’s first priority is economic development, protecting coal jobs and assisting every industry in the Upper Hunter that can help bring down unemployment and give young people here a strong future,” Mr Latham said.

“Coal mining jobs are critical in this by-election. Mining is responsible for two-thirds of the $5.8 billion worth of imports coming from the rest of Australia into Muswellbrook and Singleton; 70 percent of the jobs created by the region’s imports support the mining sector,” he said.

“Coal is a mighty job generator. Without it, the Hunter would be one big Centrelink office, an economic wasteland.

“This by-election impacts the Lower House in State Parliament. A by-election has the benefit of putting a spotlight on a seat and that’s already happened and we’ve played a role in getting rid of Malcolm Turnbull.

“The bigger issue is going forward, if the government loses this seat, they go into the minority in the Legislative Assembly and Dale McNamara, if successful, will have part of the balance of power.

“Our balance of power in the Lower House is a chance to say to the Berejiklian government, support coal, streamline the planning processes, be unequivocally in favour of economic development and job,” Mr Latham said. 

He said if other parties believe in coal, they should use it to create electricity rather than relying heavily on renewables by 2035.

Mr Latham is concerned the state’s electricity supply will “fall off the cliff” in 2035 with the closure of coal-powered fire stations.

“This electorate should have big spending commitments. Singleton and Muswellbrook local government areas raised $1.1 billion of coal royalty money straight into the New South Wales Treasury coffers; 55 percent of the mining royalty money comes from these two local government areas. How much goes back into Singleton and Muswellbrook? Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s answer is less than 10 percent for transport projects,” Mr Latham said.

“So even if you had a fairer share to get to 50 percent, that’s half a billion dollars of capital works money that should go into the Upper Hunter every year.”

Singleton businessman Dale McNamara with One Nation leader Mark Latham who announced Mr. McNamara as the One Nation candidate for the Upper Hunter by-election at today’s presser.

“If we don’t have coal, these paddocks where we stand today in the Maison Dieu Industrial area near Singleton will be empty like they were when I was a boy and went ferreting in them,” Mr McNamara stressed.

Mr McNamara recently added the Miller Park Bowling and Recreation club in Branxton to his sizeable property portfolio.