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

I want to thank the member for their question and for their longstanding support for Australian manufacturing. Like everyone on our side, they know the importance of science and industry working together—great Aussie ideas that create great products and great jobs. Yet too often our world-leading know-how goes offshore to create jobs in other countries, and we're left importing products that should be stamped 'made in Australia'. Why is it that we import 99 per cent of our solar panels when they were invented right here at the University of New South Wales? Why is it that Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine, is made elsewhere when it was invented at the University of Queensland? And why is it that other countries back PsiQuantum and their brilliant founders when they invented their breakthrough technology at the University of Queensland as well? Enough of the goodbyes, enough of waving off jobs and economic opportunity.

Our Future Made in Australia plan says that our brilliant inventors and investors should stay here and make it here. Tuesday's budget was the next step in that goal. For example, with the Queensland government, we're bringing PsiQuantum home. They're Australians who want to build the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computer in Brisbane, and it will give our industries and our economy the power needed to stay ahead of the pack. Quantum computing is vital to both our economic and our national security.

The other thing we need to do in thinking ahead about our future prosperity is tackle the terrible state of R&D investment that we inherited from those opposite. That's the focus of our landmark strategic review into R&D announced in the budget. It aims to ensure we keep turning the work of our scientists and researchers into future economic strength.

Now I'm asked: what's in the way? Well, those opposite. They have no plan for Australian manufacturing. The only time they talk about manufacturing is to talk it down. They're always negative, always standing in the way and always saying no to everything. When we said yes to the National Reconstruction Fund, they said no. When we said yes to energy price relief for manufacturers, they said no. When we said yes to tax cuts for manufacturing workers, they said no, and, when we said yes to a future made in Australia, they said no.

So tonight there's a test for the Leader of the Opposition. Will he level with Australian manufacturing workers? Whose job is he prepared to see be sent offshore? Is it steelworkers in the Illawarra or South Australia? Is it tech workers in Queensland? Is it defence industry workers in Western Australia or medical manufacturing workers in Victoria? Or will he just agree with the member for Bradfield that it is absolutely the right decision to send manufacturing— (Time expired)

See this speech in context