Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I have the great delight of speaking on the Morrison government's ongoing commitment to the manufacturing industry in Australia. Our country has always been revered for our economic power. While our population is only 25 million strong, we still boast an impressive economy spanning many sectors. The Morrison government is committed to ensuring that our manufacturing sector holds its own as an industry in the modern Australian economy. The Morrison government's economic strategy includes a $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy that will drive Australian manufacturing far into the future.

When we talk about investing in manufacturing, we're talking about investing in jobs. We're talking about investing in Australia. In my electorate of Chisholm, manufacturing employs over 4,000 people across 439 businesses. The $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy will help those people and businesses. It will also create opportunity for many of my constituents in Chisholm if they want to hone their skills in this sector.

As a key feature of this government's JobMaker plan, the Modern Manufacturing Strategy will ensure that Australia's economy and people remain resilient in the face of global uncertainty. Unlike the Labor Party, when the Liberals spend taxpayers' money, we get it right. The Liberal Party understands that, to ensure success, you need to get the best bang for your buck. This is in our party's DNA, and it has been built into our Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

This strategy recognises that we must play to our strengths. It understands that we have to target sectors that allow us to achieve scale and generate future growth. This is why we have focused our efforts on the six new National Manufacturing Priorities. In case members on the other side still don't know, let me remind you what these priorities are: resources technology and critical mineral processing; food and beverages; medical products, recycling and clean energy; defence; and space. As I said earlier, Liberals understand how to spend taxpayers' money, which is why these priorities represent sectors where we have a comparative advantage, the capacity to harness emerging opportunities or a strategic interest. It's important to remember that modern manufacturing is more than just production on the factory floor. R&D, innovation, design and services are all part of what we produce. To grow and succeed we must compete on value, quality and products that are different or customised. We recognise that, while we are not able to compete with mass-producing nations on low-value production, we can improve our production in the future by adopting and developing new technologies. The Morrison government will always be a government that values and understands the need for science and technology and how it benefits our manufacturing sector.

Those sitting opposite me may criticise this government's plan, but it's the Morrison government that has been creating jobs, both for our COVID-19 recovery and for generations to come. It's this government that is driving our economic recovery and our future, it's this government that is making Australia more secure and it's this government that is giving the Australian manufacturing sector the tools and support to survive and thrive for decades to come.

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