In a stunning turn of events in the NSW Parliament, the Government voted against a Labor motion calling for an end to the overseas manufacturing of transport infrastructure and to support Australian jobs in New South Wales.
 
The Labor motion called on the Government to end its overseas procurement of transport infrastructure and to support local jobs in manufacturing, including trains, buses, ferries and trams.
 
The Government’s opposition to local manufacturing jobs in the parliament comes in the wake of the 18 month shutdown of the Inner West light rail service following safety concerns and delays in repairs.
 
The Government has defended overseas procurement on the basis that New South Wales does not have the capacity to build transport infrastructure, and that it would reduce costs.
 
But the Inner West light rail shutdown is the latest in a series of transport infrastructure delivery fiascos.
 
Six major international procurements undertaken by the Government have endured budget blowouts of 40 and 50 per cent, negating the cost savings originally used to justify overseas procurement, not to mention years in delays of delivery.
 
Yesterday, documents obtained from NSW Labor showed the Government had refused to undertake a jobs assessment from its overseas procurements.
 
While the people of New South Wales pay for the cost blow outs and delays in transport infrastructure, they’re asking what has the Government got against local jobs and local manufacturing, and why has it voted against this motion?