Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bendigo, and I also want to note her keen and enduring interest in food manufacturing, particularly in regional Australia. Food manufacturing is the single biggest sector of Australian manufacturing, directly employing nearly 200,000 Australians and providing huge value-add to our agricultural sector. It's the economic and industrial lifeblood for many regional towns and outer suburban communities, and a vital part of our growing manufacturing sector that now employs more than 930,000 Australians.

Over 85,000 new jobs were added to the sector compared to when those opposite were last in government. Forty per cent of employees in food manufacturing are women, and we're supporting manufacturing workers by helping them to earn more across the manufacturing industry. Workers are earning $144 more per week on our watch, and Labor's tax cuts will mean the average food and beverage manufacturing worker will get a tax cut of $1,206. It's clear: earn more and keep more on this side; work longer for less on that side. That is the big difference.

I'm asked whether the facts about the impacts of what we are doing are being disputed and the answer is: absolutely, yes. We've seen the mindless obstructive negativity of those opposite. When we wanted to invest in manufacturing capability, they voted against the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. When we want to shield manufacturers from the worst of the energy price rises, they vote against our energy price relief. They're only interested in talking about manufacturing if they can talk it down. Surprisingly, it's the Deputy Leader of the Opposition who wrote an op-ed in the Australian calling a manufacturing sector a 'graveyard' and also goes on to say—and it didn't stop—'littered with the bodies of once great companies claiming that the rate of insolvencies was higher than it's ever been'.

It's just a futile attempt because, when those claims have been examined independently, they're not supported by fact. It's not the only doozy. I still remember when the deputy leader said that there were no electric utes anywhere in the world and then that became awkward.

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