During December we had a visit to Mount Isa from the Acting Premier and the State Treasurer Curtis Pitt and the State Minister for State Development. Natural Resources and Mines Anthony Lynam.
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They allocated $15m to Glencore as part of an arrangement which will be music to the ears of many long term residents of Mount Isa and the surrounding district who will remember that small miners were very prominent in the district.
These tough men and women used to work the small mines and bring the ore onto the Mount Isa Mines lease for processing.
When you drove through the Gardenia Gate on to the Mount Isa Mines lease you could see the heaps of ore from the various small mines each one was Identified by the mine which the ore was mined at. Mount Isa Mines used to process the ore in the copper smelters and obviously the owners of the small mines received payment.
This practice stopped, causing many small mines to close down and this would have had an impact on employment in the district. The North West Ore Producers Association which was the peak body for the small miners also stopped its operations.
Our state Labor government has allocated $15m to Glencore to upgrade the copper smelter so they can again process the ore from small miners. This is the re-birth of an industry in our district and further proof 2017 will be a brighter year. It also demonstrates what can be achieved when a government and the private sector work together in the interests of the community.
With the election of Donald Trump and other events the political pundits are suggesting it's the end of the road for established political parties. I would invite readers of the Star to look at the new small political players here on our own doorstep and then hopefully you will realise that they create more problems than they solve.
Recall just a few years ago when One Nation had 11 members in Queensland Parliament but due to their turmoil they were decimated at the next election.
Then we seen the birth of the Clive Palmer Party within a very short time they were in total disarray.
We witnessed the so called re-birth of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party, what are they doing today? In total disarray squabbling among themselves.
What our state and nation requires today more than ever before is political stability which Labor can provide.
