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SENATOR GARY HUMPHRIES Liberal Senator for the Australian Capital Territory Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney-General Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel

TOM ZORICH Liberal candidate for Wakefield

*** JOINT MEDIA RELEASE***

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Closure of Priority Engineering

News that Priority Engineering Services is to close its doors is bad for both South Australia and the Defence industry, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel Senator Gary Humphries and Liberal Candidate for Wakefield Tom Zorich said today.

Priority Engineering has operated out of Elizabeth South since 1984 and has worked on key projects such as the Air Warfare Destroyer and the M113 armoured vehicle upgrade. However, cancellation of projects and protracted tendering periods has left the company in limbo.

“The demise of Priority Engineering is symbolic of a wider malaise across the sector”, commented Senator Humphries.

“A further 86 jobs have been lost as a result of this Government mishandling the sector and failing to provide some certainty for business.”

“I don’t like seeing people lose their jobs, especially when the unemployment rate in Adelaide’s northern suburbs is already at a record high,” said Mr Zorich.

“We already know that this government has not only failed to fund the lavish promises that it made in the 2009 Defence White Paper, but that it also slashed the Defence budget to lows not seen since the 1930’s.

“We know that at least 5000 jobs have been lost across the industry since 2009 and that business confidence is at rock bottom.

“Only a Coalition government can get the Defence budget back on track and restore confidence to the industry,” Senator Humphries concluded.

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Humphries media contact is Ross Macdonald 0407 904 818 www.garyhumphries.com