The Queensland Greens say that state Treasurer Andrew Fraser's letter to Suncorp over their plans to offshore jobs prove how shortsighted the state government's job strategy is.
"We have been warning for months that the two-speed economy, which the state government is hastening, is leading to job losses," Queensland Greens spokesperson Libby Connors said this afternoon.
"The more the Labor government promotes the coal and gas rush, the faster the investment and the higher the Australian dollar.
"We have been concerned about the loss of jobs in tourism as Queensland becomes too expensive for overseas visitors but now we have an example of Queensland's finance sector making clear plans to move Queensland jobs overseas.
"This comes on top of the announcement from the engineering firm Kell & Rigby that they have ceased trading and that their projects in Queensland have ceased.
"The way to save Queensland jobs is to slow down the rush.
"There is no loss to the people of Queensland if our resources are extracted at a rate that does not cause disruption to other sectors.
"Only the major parties, with their obsession with rapid return of the state budget to surplus, are in favour of this unrestrained promotion of coal and gas.
"The Greens want a moratorium so that all of the harmful factors from the coal and gas rush can be properly considered."
Spokesperson Libby Connors said that the Greens were not anti-mining. "We just want a balanced approach that recognises the economic, environmental and public health consequences.
"Who would have thought that a Queensland-born institution as old and as large as Suncorp would be moving jobs away from Queensland.
"It shows that we are not only at risk of losing service, manufacturing and engineering skills; we could also end up losing our edge in finance and banking."
Contact: Libby Connors 0429 487 110
Links Suncorp
http://www.news.com.au/business/suncorp-urged-to-keep-jobs-here/story-e6frfm1i-1226267383356
Links Kell & Rigby