Page
Hurt mining. Hurt the Hunter. A clear election message
“
The NSW Minerals Council has today commenced the next stage of a targeted advertising campaign that puts all candidates from all political parties across the Hunter on notice at the 2015 State Election.
“The clear and sharp message to both the Government and the Opposition at this election is if you hurt mining, you hurt the Hunter,” NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said.
Over the next three weeks, electorate specific advertising will appear in local newspapers across the region, targeting electorates such as Newcastle, Cessnock, Maitland, Port Stephens and Upper Hunter.
“In the Hunter it is important to remind our elected representatives and those who want to take their places that the mining vote matters,” Mr Galilee said.
“For example, there are 4400 mining families in the electorate of Upper Hunter and it’s going to be hotly contested because of the retirement of longstanding Nationals MP George Souris,” Mr Galilee said.
“The mining vote also matters in seats like Cessnock with 3000 mining families, Maitland with nearly 800 mining families, and almost 500 mining families in Port Stephens. These are key marginal electorates and the importance of the mining vote is reinforced with over 4000 local Hunter businesses that are part of the mining supply chain,” Mr Galilee said.
Profiled in the campaign is Gus, a fifth generation Muswellbrook local and Managing Director of Pirtek, a key supplier to the mining industry since the late 1980s. His father worked in the mines for 30 years and his son has a mining apprenticeship. Thousands of local families like Gus’ depend on mining, whether they’re at the coalface or working at businesses supplying our mines.
“With unemployment increasing in the Hunter and thousands of jobs caught up in the planning system, It is important that we take the opportunity in the lead up to the election to remind our elected representatives in these marginal seats that it’s going to be the votes of mining communities that decide who wins,” Mr Galilee said.
Contact: Chris Rath