Senator Kim Carr

Reports this morning that Australian railways may be built using Australian steel should not come as a surprise. It is just basic common sense.  

Labor would like to see rail lines in Australia built with Australian steel. That’s a no-brainer.

Today, Murray Goulburn has announced that it will close production facilities in Tasmania and Victoria, resulting in the loss of approximately 360 manufacturing jobs.

Labor is dismayed by the news of job losses at Murray Goulburn and our thoughts are with the workers, their families, and communities at this difficult time.

The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee inquiry into the state of Australia’s rail industry will hold a public hearing in Newcastle tomorrow, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Cnr Wharf Road and Merewether Street, from 9am.

Labor congratulates Professor Sue Thomas on her appointment as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC).

This is a good appointment; Professor Thomas should enjoy the confidence of the research community upon whose voluntary labour the ARC depends on to work effectively.   

Labor supports the aims of the March for Science, an international movement advocating for the public discovery, distribution, and understanding of scientific knowledge.

It is a disgrace that scientists and friends of science must take to the streets to defend the values of curiosity driven discovery, and the role of expertise in society.

The ACCC chairman, Rod Sims, has confirmed what industrial gas users have been saying for months: the Turnbull Government’s gas crisis will see industry closures and job losses.

Speaking yesterday Mr Sims said the gas crisis now represents “the worst-case scenario.”

“We thought the market was going to get tight but this is worse than we expect.

Labor welcomes the announcement by Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Craig Laundy that he has accepted the recommendations of the Anti-Dumping Commissioner on dumped imports of A4 copy paper. 

The Assistant Minister has finally acknowledged that Australian industry has been harmed by goods being sold in Australia below their normal value.

It has been over 30 days since the Anti-Dumping Commission delivered its final report to the Turnbull Liberals with recommendations on the dumping of A4 copy paper from China, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand.

According to the Government’s own factsheet the Minister has 30 days after the Anti-Dumping Commission delivers its final report to impose duties.

Yesterday Labor Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Mark Butler and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, held a roundtable with manufacturing industry and worker representatives on the growing impacts of the national energy crisis on manufacturing.

Labor Shadow Ministers heard from participants how energy prices and access to gas were hurting jobs and investment across the manufacturing industry.

It has been 21 days since the Anti-Dumping Commission delivered its final report to the Turnbull Liberals with recommendations on the dumping of A4 copy paper from China, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand.

The report is yet to be released and industry are still waiting on tenterhooks for the Government to respond to the Commission’s recommendations.