Andrew Leigh is encouraging his constituents to leave Canberra for their own good. Really.
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The member for Fraser says while he usually encourages people to move to the nation's capital, he wants to help those looking for temporary lucrative work in the mines.
Western Australia and Queensland are paying top wages to attract qualified trades people, creating problems for the building industry elsewhere.
Dr Leigh says the 2011 census shows that only 94 people who usually live in Canberra are employed in the mining industry.
''I've had some young Canberrans tell me they'd like to work in the mining industry to try to save some money to buy a house and start a family,'' he said on Tuesday.
''As Canberra is located so far away from the mines, it's difficult to get information about how to apply for jobs in the industry.
''There are so many jobs available in the mining industry for people of all different skills, such as construction, hospitality and engineering.
''The right role for a local representative is to help people live their dreams, that's why I support campaigns to attract people to visit or move to Canberra.
''In the same spirit, it's why I'm keen to help Canberrans who want to break into the mining industry. I'll be letting the mining companies know about local interest in jobs.''
If there is sufficient interest from the local community in mining jobs, Dr Leigh intends to host information sessions.
''I encourage everyone who wants to know more … to call or email to register their interest,'' he said.
