Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has invoked his 'jobs and growth' slogan to justify his government's forced relocation of about 200 Canberra public servants to northern NSW.
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Mr Turnbull's deputy and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has been heavily criticised and accused of "blatant pork barrelling" over his plant to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale, in the heart of Mr Joyce's New England electorate.
But in a letter to Canberra MP Gai Brodtmann, Mr Turnbull said the plan was about jobs and growth in regional Australia.
"The government is relocating the APVMA as part of its commitment to boost jobs, increase growth and strengthen communities in regional areas," the Prime Minister wrote.
"We are ensuring the relocation has minimal disruption to the agency and its staff and families.
"Canberra based staff concerned about moving to Armidale will be supported by a transition team and an advisory committees to oversee the relocation."
Ms Brodtmann was not too impressed by the Prime Minister's letter particularly the way she said he ignored the cost-benefit analysis, that cost taxpayers more than $270,000, and which found the move would cost more jobs in Canberra than it would create in Armidale.
"Based on the evidence the Prime Minister paid $272,000 to ignore, the relocation of the APVMA to Barnaby Joyce's electorate will cost more jobs than it creates," the Canberra MP said on Wednesday.
"It shows taking jobs from one place and shifting them to another isn't a recipe for "jobs and growth".
"It shows the relocation will cost the Australian taxpayer $25 million and the Canberra economy $157 million a year.
"It is unequivocal and it is damning.
"To say there were "other considerations" behind the approval other than the analysis itself is to say that there's something more important than what is good for the economy, the industry or the community – what's good for Barnaby."
