Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Groom for his question. He, like all members on this side of the House, understands that boosting exports grows our economy and creates jobs. It means that so many hardworking Australians can get ahead, including the many producers and farmers in the member's electorate of Groom.

The coalition is the party of small and medium enterprises. We know that they are the engine room of Australia's economy. We know that for our economy to grow, to keep Australians secure in their economic growth, we need to be supporting our small and medium enterprises. We also know that many of our small and medium enterprises are very time poor. They are very focused on working in their businesses, making sure that they are doing whatever it takes to keep their businesses operating on a day-to-day basis. Often because they are so tied up working in their businesses they don't have the opportunity to work on their businesses.

The coalition government are committed to doing all that we can. We are working with our small and medium enterprises and assisting them to grow export opportunities. One very practical example of the way we are doing that is through the $20 million Small and Medium Enterprise Export Hubs initiative.

I was recently in Toowoomba with the member for Groom and we announced that we would be establishing an export hub in that area. The Southern Queensland Innovation in Export Hub in Toowoomba will open next week, but it is already working to help our local businesses grow and develop. While we were there, we met with a fabulous local small business called Jim's Jerky. Emily Pullen from Jim's Jerky said: 'One of the things we really see as a business is that Australian beef has an amazing reputation overseas. We would love to take that to another segment, which is snacking.' This is a business that is growing opportunities. It is taking Australian beef and developing a new snacking product that it will be looking to export.

The Australian Made logo is so important. When we go into supermarkets and see that logo, we know that it means quality. We have committed an additional $5 million to promote globally the Australian Made logo because we want everyone across the world, when they see that green and gold label, to go: 'How good is Australia!'

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