Senator Kim Carr

Good morning, and thank you for the invitation to address your Industry Leaders Forum once again.

I wish to acknowledge the chair of the Australian Food and Grocery Council board, Mr Clive Stiff, the chief executive, Ms Tanya Barden, and board members.

When I spoke at this gathering two years ago, I talked about the dismantling of innovation and industry assistance programs established under the former Labor Government.

On this occasion I want to remind you of Labor’s approach to innovation and in particular, industry policy.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash’s comments this morning on the closure of Holden demonstrate that she has no understanding of the skills needed to participate in global value chains, the key to success in advanced manufacturing.

The Minister’s unsubstantiated assertions that $30 million in grants to 20 businesses in Victoria and South Australia means that ‘the future is a positive one’ shows her lack of understanding of the challenges Australia faces.

If our industries are to compete in the international market the skills of our workforce need to be improved. This will require a more effective skills system, but the Turnbull government has no such plan for skills. 

Professor Jim Piper, President of Science and Technology Australia; Ms Kylie Walker, Chief Executive Officer; Distinguished Guests.

Thank you for again inviting me to be part of this very important forum.

It is always a pleasure to speak to an audience drawn from the two parts of my portfolio, science and industry.

The connection between them is not an accidental one.

They are both fields of endeavour that expand – and realise – human aspiration.

Aspiration to understand the world of which we are a part, and aspiration to transform it for the betterment of all.

Now the Australian Coalition Government must decide if it will protect the high-skill high-wage jobs in advance manufacturing that it generated, writes shadow Industry Minister Kim Carr.

When General Motor’s Australian subsidiary, Holden, shut down its assembly plant last month, Australia’s 100-year-old tradition of producing passenger cars came to a halt.

The other automotive manufacturer with an Australian production facility, Toyota, had ceased operations several weeks earlier.

The closures provoked a spate of commentary, locally and around the world, much of it intended to demonstrate that the decisions made by Holden and Toyota were inevitable.

Today’s announcement of an additional measurement of research in Australian universities – the Engagement and Impact Assessment 2018 - demonstrates the ignorance within the Turnbull Government about Australia’s world class research system.

This new research assessment is a confused and contradictory piece of public policy, which will undermine research excellence and can only be designed to appease the most reactionary elements of the right wing of the Liberal party

The Liberals’ announcement of the first round of Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund recipients lays bare the complete inadequacy of the government’s support for those affected by the shutdown of the automotive industry.

This demonstrates yet again that the Liberals decision to withdraw assistance from automotive plants has left automotive communities in the lurch. 

SENATOR KIM CARR: Today I would like to talk about the Labor party’s plans to provide $1 billion advanced manufacturing fund to support Australian jobs in manufacturing on the weekend we announced support for manufacturers. 

The two biggest issues facing Australian manufacturing at the moment are the price of energy and access to finance, the Labor party has a strong commitment to ensure support for Australian manufactures on both those matters.  We have made the policy clear in the week in which General Motors is shutting it’s Elizabeth plant, a decision that has been taken, that need not have been taken, a decision to shut down the motor vehicle manufacturing plant is force upon this country by the stupidity of this government when it came to office by hounding General Motors out of Australia.

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $1 billion in Australian advanced manufacturing to support Australian industries, grow Australian businesses and create Australian jobs.

Labor’s Australian Manufacturing Future Fund will support innovative Australian manufacturing firms who want to grow their businesses and create jobs, but who might find it difficult to obtain private sources of finance.

This is all about Australian jobs. While Turnbull and his Liberals give tax handouts to multinationals and millionaires, Labor is backing Aussie businesses that make things in Australia, by Australians.

A Shorten Labor Government will better protect Australians in their homes and workplaces by improving fire safety in buildings, including:

·                     The establishment of a national licencing scheme for all building practitioners, with requirements for continued professional development.

·                     A new penalties regime for all building practitioners who breach the National Construction Code. 

·                     The re-establishment of the Minister for Industry – not the Assistant Minister – as the Chair of the Building Ministers’ Forum.

Labor is deeply disturbed that the Turnbull Liberals will not back Labor’s plan to protect Australians in their homes and workplaces by banning the importation of highly flammable polyethylene (PE) cladding. 

Assistant Minister Laundy has refused the advice of the fire authorities and building industry to prevent this product entering the Australian market. Labor, however, has listened and will impose a ban as matter of urgency upon taking office.