“Gary Marshall invented this revolutionary cigarette butt disposal unit, cigarette butts are the No. 1 litter problem in Australia and it is important to devise more effective means of disposing of this nasty problem, particularly since the current disposal methods are seriously inadequate and potentially devastating for our environment.”
“Smokers poles have already been installed in many public places across Victoria. There are two outside the Broadmeadows Train Station and many successful trials have been undertaken with Parks Victoria, Bunnings and Westfield shopping centres.” said Maria Vamvakinou.
“With around 130,000 cigarette butts ending up in the Yarra River each day and 350,000 ending up in Port Phillip Bay, I fully support this environmentally conscious initiative and I encourage the federal government to follow the lead of the Victorian Labor government and to support the widespread installation of these units across Australia.” said Maria Vamvakinou.
“Gary currently employs around 35 people in his Campbellfield factory and, when recruiting, he specifically targets those unemployed people who are at the most risk of not finding a job. These include the long-term unemployed, mature unemployed, Indigenous Australians, migrants, the disabled and even drug dependent youths.” said Maria Vamvakinou. Gary Marshal pointed out that: “The dollars are always less important than respect with employees, but I’ve always employed people above the award rate. I feel guilty paying them the award rate.”
“At a time when the government and other conservative thinkers toy with the idea of abolishing minimum award wage provisions because they believe that this will actually create more jobs—although there is no evidence of that—it is important to note what this socially responsible employer is saying.” said Maria Vamvakinou.
