The AIG Queensland Branch has sent out a letter to every candidate in the
upcoming state election. The letter deals with the downturn in
Queensland exploration, geoscientist unemployment, land access, and funding
for the Department of Mines and Energy. An additional letter, directed to
the major parties and requesting information on their resources policies,
will be sent out today. Individual AIG members have also sent letters to
their local newspapers, and Christine Brown (a Brisbane-based geologist) was
interviewed by the Courier Mail as a result of an excellent letter she sent
to the newspaper.

Copies of letters, and the Courier Mail article, are available on an AIG web
site devoted to the Qld election:
http://www.aig.asn.au/queensland_election.htm

AIG Qld Branch has already started to receive responses from candidates in
response to the letter. We plan to summarise the responses we receive from
parties and candidates and post them on the web site.

If you think it's important that these issues are brought to the attention
of our aspiring state politicians, and the public, please take the time to
write a letter yourself - to your local newspaper / your local candidates /
the minister and shadow minister / the premier and opposition leader. If
you need some facts and figures, numbers for geoscientist unemployment are
included in the AIG letters, and also at:
http://www.aig.asn.au/geoscientist_employment_jan_2001.htm
Facts and figures on exploration and mining are included in AIG fact sheets
at:
http://www.aig.asn.au/fact.htm .
The latest available figures on Queensland's export revenues are given below
(in 1998/99 coal and mineral exports contributed 39% of Qld's export
earnings).

Most of the candidates, and the public, probably don't realise that a
downturn in exploration expenditure not only affects geologists, but also
all the other professions and businesses that work within the industry. So
it's important that not only geologists make themselves heard,
but that other businesses (analytical labs, drilling companies, equipment
suppliers, field service suppliers etc) also let people know how they're
being affected.

Some of you live interstate and are probably wondering why I'm sending you
this as you can't vote in the Qld election (but, if you'd like to vote,
in the true tradition of Qld hospitality you could probably get someone
to rustle you up a couple of local addresses). However, if you have Qld EPM
applications in the queue, it may be useful to send a note to candidates or
the Minister and Shadow Minister, letting them know about the money you
would like to invest in Queensland if only you could get your applications
granted.

So please - send a (polite) letter. Or call your local candidates.

Addresses for the Minister and Shadow Minister for Mines and Energy are:

Queensland Minister for Mines and Energy
MCGRADY Hon. Anthony (Tony)
Mount Isa MP (ALP)
Minister's Office, Brisbane, Tel: (07) 3224 7557
Mt Isa Electorate Office Tel: 4743 5149 Fax: 4743 3386
Mt Isa Trades and Labour Council Building,
74 Camooweal Street, Mount Isa QLD 4825
PO Box 2332, Mount Isa QLD 4825
Email: Mount.Isa@parliament.qld.gov.au

Cloncurry Office Tel: 4742 2530 Fax: 4742 2524
27 Ramsay Street, Cloncurry QLD 4824
Email: Mount.Isa.Cloncurry@parliament.qld.gov.au

Shadow Minister for Mines and Energy
SEENEY Jeffrey William (Jeff)
MP (NPA)
Callide Tel: 4992 2475 Fax: 4992 3189
64 Callide Street, Biloela QLD 4715
PO Box 559, Biloela QLD 4715
Email: Callide@parliament.qld.gov.au

QLD EXPORT REVENUE 98/99
$million &  (% of total revenue)
Meat $1901 (9%)
Other rural $2149 (10%)
Tourism $1867 (8%)
Other services $3277 (15%)
Coal $5519 (26%)Ores & metals $2697 (13%)
Other manufacturers $1214 (6%)
Rest $2719 (13%)
TOTAL $21343 (100%)

(Source: Queensland Mining Council)