Senator Kim Carr

The Senate Economics Committee inquiry on the future of Australia’s naval shipbuilding industry held public hearings in Perth on Monday and in Adelaide on Tuesday.

These hearings have thrown more doubt on the Liberal’s commitment to a truly national shipbuilding industry that will create Australian jobs and work for Australian supply chain companies. 

The Senate Economics Committee’s inquiry into the future of Australia’s naval shipbuilding industry will hold a public hearing in Adelaide today, at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Hindley, 65 Hindley Street, from 10am.

Today marks the one year anniversary since the Review of the R&D Tax Incentive was handed to the Turnbull Liberals – but innovative companies still have no idea whether the Government is planning yet more cuts to the scheme.

On 4 April 2016, Mr Bill Ferris, Dr Alan Finkel and Mr John Fraser handed their review to the then Minister for Industry, Christopher Pyne. 

The Senate Economics Committee’s inquiry into the future of Australia’s naval shipbuilding industry will hold a public hearing in Perth tomorrow, at the Mercure Hotel, 10 Irwin Street, from 8:45am.

The inquiry with hear evidence from:

Australia’s research funding council is still without a CEO ten months after the former CEO, Professor Adrian Byrne, gave the Turnbull Government notice of his resignation from the Australian Research Council (ARC).

This comes on top of the ARC having had $187 million – in real terms – cut from its budget since 2013/14.

Labor welcomes today’s science statement by the Turnbull Government – but this is not difficult given that it has no plan to do anything.

But the Australian science and research community will not be fooled by the Minister’s empty words and platitudes.

This is a statement without any plan for action, nor the resourcing required to meet its limited ambitions.  

Words are cheap but it is deeds that matter.

Last night the Turnbull Liberals tabled a report that contains little more than motherhood statements about the level of local industry engagement in Australia’s naval shipbuilding and submarine projects.

The report was tabled in the Senate in response to interim reports from the Economics Committee inquiry on the Future of Australia’s shipbuilding industry.

Labor welcomes the statement, but this is not difficult given that it says nothing.

Labor calls on the Turnbull Liberals to come clean on how they intend to respond to recommendations from the Anti-Dumping Commission in relation to the dumping of A4 copy paper from China, Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand.

The Anti-Dumping Commission delivered its final report to the Government on Friday, but its report is yet to be released and industry is waiting on the Government to respond to the Commission’s recommendations.

Labor calls on the Turnbull Liberals to honour their commitment to use Australian steel on the Future Submarines.

During evidence provided to a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday, Future Submarine project head Rear Admiral Gregory Sammut reportedly said that the Future Submarines may not have an Australian-made steel hull.