Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Hansard source

I have already spoken about infrastructure and jobs, but also the government is preparing for some of the major LNG and mining projects that will be getting underway over the coming years. In all, the government believes that there is something like 80 major projects in the pipeline over the next decade, which could create up to 70,000 construction jobs for Australians. We want to ensure that we maximise the local employment opportunities for Australians. That is why the government has established the natural resource sector task force. I was very happy to meet yesterday with the task force for the first time, and also with Martin Ferguson, the Minister for Resources and Energy; Senator Sterle, the deputy chair; and the chair, Gary Gray. In short, we will be developing a skills and employment plan for that sector to ensure that we are putting downward pressure on capacity constraints. (Time expired)