01 August 2008
Paul Howes wrote this for The Gladstone Observer newspaper :We care deeply in the AWU about how families in Australia’s regional centres live and work.
 Paul Howes ( 2nd from right) in Gladstone meets AWU members & local MP Chris Trevor (left) |
For more than a century, as we stand stronger together, we've been defending their living standards, their rights to safe workplaces, the ability to buy homes and raise children. For more than a century, because we stand stronger together, we've had significant victories in our quest for a fair go.
We are working very closely with the Federal Government on the urgent question of climate change.
We are also working closely with regional communities, like Gladstone, who will feel the brunt of climate change if planned new laws are poorly framed.
A lot of our biggest carbon emissions corporations are based outside of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - outside of our capital cities.
The AWU knows that by standing stronger together we can make sure that capital city dwellers understand the concerns of families in regional Australia.
The AWU is not a union of dreamers, we want to find practical solutions to the existing reality of industrial centres in regional cities like Gladstone.
That's why as AWU National Secretary I have begun a tour of regional centres to meet with AWU members and local community leaders to listen and discuss - to find the practical solutions which will both help to green our planet - and keep our regional economies alive and thriving.
After Professor Garnaut released his first findings on climate change he did a national tour of Town Hall meetings to consult the community - while this is praiseworthy all these meetings were in capital cities. Not one was in regional Australia.
This is even though Professor Garnaut's report shows most of the major industries who will suffer the brunt of emissions trading legislation are based in our regions.
Gladstone is the first stop on my national regional tour because it is the carbon capital of Australia. Gladstone - after 40 years of economic growth - would probably be the worst hit regional city if we don't get legislation which helps and supports the region's industries to rebuild their existing enterprises using environmentally friendly technology.
I believe that it will be input from my regional tour which will help the AWU frame a top notch submission to Kevin Rudd, and Penny Wong, on how we best defend good local jobs. This submission is due in September and I will be urging community leaders in regional Australia, as well as all my members, to get informed and actively involved in this next stage of the community debate.
Just one of our first responses to the government Green Paper, released in July , has been to say workers deserve emission permits, too, just like their employers.
If we hold these permits, we will be able to ensure not just that greener jobs will be available soon, but that many of our present jobs will continue, in greener workplaces and industries with greener environmental outcomes, in regions like Gladstone.
We're not anti-Garnaut. We also believe the situation is urgent and an Emissions Trading System is the reasonable way to go. Like Garnaut we believe in broad participation in the world solution, with petrol pricing part of it.
Like Garnaut we believe that emission-intensive, trade-essential industries are special cases, and a gradualist approach is the only way we can deal with them.
And like Garnaut we agree the neglect by the Howard government of this question has been catastrophic to the environment, the economy and industrial relations.
It is unfortunate that in the post-Howard era the leadership of the Coalition is adopting an even more backward looking stance on climate chang - a stance which threatens the job security of my members in this region.
We're only doing what a self-respecting union always does. We represent our members' interest with ferocity of purpose and tactical skill in a national debate of searing importance.
We believe that standing stronger together AWU members will ensure that the voice of regional Australia will be heard in Canberra as we move forward to what can only be described as a world-changing process.
The AWU will best support our members, their families and regional Australia by being in the thick of that debate. Up close, negotiating, doing the numbers, behaving like a responsible citizen in Australia's great democracy.
All electoral matter is authorised by Paul Howes, National Secretary