Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Richard Marles, visited Macarthur this week as the guest of Federal Member, Dr Mike Freelander MP.

As Labor’s Shadow Minister for Defence, Richard took the opportunity to visit manufacturing firms in Macarthur alongside Dr Freelander and attended lunch with veterans from the Ingleburn RSL sub-branch.

Dr Freelander said he was “delighted” to host Richard, and the visit highlighted Federal Labor’s commitment to the region.

“Just in the last few months, we’ve had Anthony Albanese, Linda Burney and Richard Marles all come to tour our fantastic region.”

“Macarthur remains a priority in our national agenda - Labor understands the importance of investing in this growing region.”

During the visit, the pair visited W & E Platt, a manufacturing firm in Ingleburn which supplies weapon mounts to the Department of Defence, and DECO Australia in Minto, another manufacturing firm which specialises aluminium products and surface treatments.

Visiting the region once again reaffirmed to Labor the value of our growing region and why it is so important we continue to invest in areas like that of Macarthur.

“It is unacceptable that the Coalition continues to turn a blind eye to the needs of Macarthur,” Mr Marles said.

“The growing region deserves its fair share of Government investment and local businesses, like the manufacturing firms we visited today, deserve to supported by the Federal Government in Canberra.

“It is about time that critical projects, like the rail line to the new Western Sydney airport, get underway to create more jobs, to support to local businesses and providing greater investment in the region.”