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

Thanks to the member for McEwen for that question. He knows, as everyone on this side of the House does, that a secure, well-paying job is crucial in confronting cost-of-living pressures and that a country that makes things also makes secure, well-paying jobs. There was a bit of good news in last week's average weekly earnings figures, showing manufacturing workers doing better since we took office. Average manufacturing worker pay has gone up by 14 per cent, from around $76,000 to about $87,000. On top of that, with our cost-of-living tax cuts, manufacturing workers will take an extra $1,900 along with those wage increases, earning more and keeping more of what they earn. Nine hundred thousand manufacturing workers know that the Albanese government has got their backs, because we back Australian manufacturing and that's exactly what the Future Made in Australia Bill aims to do.

On this side of the House, our commitment to manufacturing is solid. On the other side they only ever talk about manufacturing to talk it down. Their track record is appalling; they saw off 100,000 manufacturing jobs. They had a former defence minister, in David Johnston, say of the ASC he wouldn't trust them to build a canoe. What a slap in the face for Australian defence manufacturing. They had a treasurer at this very dispatch box, Joe Hockey, goad Australian car manufacturers offshore. And they've got another New South Wales Liberal in the form of Andrew Constance, who wants to join that mob in this place. Look at his track record. You might remember he is the person who quits one seat, says he'll run for another, then says he won't before deciding to run for another seat—great conviction politician! He too doesn't back Australian manufacturing, saying we don't have it and there's a reason for it. And he's absolutely right: it is their lack of conviction, industry policy written on a white flag. He was the guy who sent bus manufacturing offshore, train manufacturing offshore and ferry manufacturing offshore. The only problem was that, when the trains and the ferries came back, they wouldn't fit on the tracks and they kind of didn't fit under bridges. No problem with that!

That colossus of conviction wants to join with another one: the shadow Treasurer, whose heartwarming log cabin story of being a manufacturing worker for decades—I've got to say I love that one. He boldly claimed that the coalition always supported manufacturing. He said that right there on the floor of the House and then turned up at the ABC studios to say, 'You can't build things competitively in this country.' So he says they back manufacturing here and then goes down there and says that.

As I've always said, their heart's not in it. They don't believe in Australian manufacturing except for a photo op. Australian manufacturing workers deserve better. (Time expired)

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