Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

Certainly, concern about lost manufacturing jobs in Australia is a just cause. It is a matter of concern to all Australians. However, the opposition will not be supporting the suspension of standing orders. The Leader of the House has given a list of sound reasons why that should not happen, however that does not indicate any lack of concern about what has been happening in Australia, particularly over the last few years, about the loss of manufacturing jobs in this country. In fact, since Labor has been in office, one job has been lost in manufacturing every 20 minutes. That is a pretty appalling record for a government that prides itself on representing the workers.

There are some things that I think can be done to help keep more jobs in Australia: get rid of the carbon tax; certainly, get rid of a lot of the red tape that is tying up Australian business at the present time; do something about uncompetitiveness and our industrial relations situation. People are going from Australia to New Zealand because our minimum wage is $23 and theirs is $13—in the US it is $8—so it is not surprising that there are issues with uncompetitiveness. We want to have high wages in this country and we want to have a high standard of living, but for us to be able to do that and pay those wages we must have a very competitive economy, and that has not been apparent over recent times.

You cannot pass bills in this House, as proposed by the honourable member, to stop jobs moving overseas. You cannot pass a law to prevent that from happening. In reality a company is just as likely to axe a job altogether and you have gained nothing whatsoever. The reality is that business has to be competitive. Workers, management and government need to work together to help create that kind of environment. If I could pass a law to prevent jobs from going overseas, I would pass a law to prevent SPC and Simplot jobs from going overseas—they are going to matter a very great deal to regional communities—and to stop Ford or Holden jobs going overseas. As a member who represents heavy engineering and train manufacture, I would pass a law to prevent the manufacture of trains going overseas. But if I were to do that, and if I had enough support in the parliament to do it, it would be ineffective because by simply passing a law you cannot make something happen. You have actually got to undertake positive actions to create the kind of environment that enables manufacturing to prosper.

Whilst I have no doubt that the member's intention to try to save jobs in Australia is supported by every member in the House, I do not believe his bill will be effective. To spend time debating that at this stage of the day would not be productive or helpful to those workers.

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