Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Greenway for her question. Of course, the member for Greenway would have recognised that the trade statistics that came out last week showed that in 2005-06 the overall output of our exports was $192 billion—a significant increase on the previous year—and that manufactured exports made a significant contribution to that: they had increased by 12 per cent on the previous year. So, out of $192 billion worth of exports of goods and services, our manufacturing exports increased by 12 per cent, to a record $39.5 billion.

There are a couple of examples from the member for Greenway’s electorate that contributed to that. Antec Engineering in Blacktown export furnace parts to markets such as Japan, and Circuitlink International in Seven Hills export electronic equipment for the automotive industry. They are a part of that record of $39.5 billion worth of exports.

Some of the other big performers in this category are as follows. Aluminium was up 28 per cent to a record $4.8 billion. Unworked copper was up 59 per cent to $2.1 billion. Motor vehicle exports increased 14 per cent to a record $3.1 billion. And medicines rose 18 per cent to a record $3 billion.

It is interesting that that area of high-tech manufacturing—the medications sector—increased 18 per cent to $3 billion. I need to highlight one of those great success stories as far as medicines are concerned—one that is of personal interest to me—and that is Peplin Biotech Ltd, which produce a topical gel for treating non-melanoma skin cancer. They are exporting to the world a medicine that has been developed in Australia. The operation was opened on the Gold Coast by Ian Macfarlane—the industry minister Ian Macfarlane!—and there was no mistake by the staff at Peplin on who they had opening the plant. But, importantly, the point should be made that our exports are growing across the full sector and particularly in that biotech area. It is very important, and we recognise that.

So, since the coalition came to power, manufactured exports have increased by 53 per cent. I have seen the comments by the Leader of the Opposition, talking about how they grew under Labor, but we should recognise that they were right down on a low base. What they need to recognise is the fact—

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