Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion in relation to the Labor government's workplace relations policies, and I note that it was originally moved by the honourable member for Werriwa. The honourable member for Werriwa, of course, represents an electorate in Sydney's south. After the next election, following the Electoral Commissioner's redistributions, the suburbs of Glenfield, Bardia, Macquarie Links, Macquarie Fields and Long Point will be within my electorate of Hughes. The suburb of Ingleburn, currently within the electorate of Macarthur, will similarly be moved into Hughes. If I am re-elected, I look forward to serving and representing those constituents, as my seat will then be firmly in southern and south-west Sydney.

For those in south-west Sydney, indeed for those throughout the entirety of our nation, the role the federal government plays in workplace relations is critical. It is critical for those working in manufacturing, in retail trades and in construction. These are sectors that predominate in southern and south-west Sydney. There are also large numbers of small businesses within my existing electorate and within the areas that will become part of my electorate. Industrial relations policy is top of mind for our small businesses, and they are not happy with this Albanese Labor government. This is not the government of Hawke and Keating or even of Whitlam, who were committed to looking after the so-called working class. Instead this is a government that has forgotten the economic reforms of Keating and Hawke, with the wages accord, a system that ensured that wage increases were linked to productivity, giving prosperity to Australians. Despite his PhD in Keatingism, this Treasurer does not understand that, and the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations understands it even less.

Take, for example, the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing sector plays a crucial role in the Australian economy. During COVID, it contributed 6.2 per cent to the GDP. Imagine what it's doing now outside of COVID. It supports more than 862,000 jobs. The manufacturing industry in Australia is made up of nearly 104,000 businesses. Food manufacturing, for example, is the leading industry in the manufacturing industry, with 18 companies in the top 100 manufacturing companies. The total output of the manufacturing industry for Australia in 2020 was $319 billion. However, this is an industry that has been largely ignored by the Albanese Labor government.

Last week, I met with the Southern Strength Agile Manufacturing Network. This is a group of manufacturers that are working together to ensure the long-term viability of the manufacturing sector. They spoke to me of the workplace shortages throughout the sector, especially in the trades: boilermakers, fitters and turners, welders, toolmakers, structural steel workers, packers, metal fitters and machinists, maintenance technicians and of course electricians, plumbers and pipefitters. Where is Labor's plan to address the shortage of manufacturing workers? The Labor government's workplace relations legislation does nothing to address the critical trades shortage that Australia currently has and that is on a trajectory to become a national crisis.

Then we turn to the retail trades. Throughout my electorate, as a result of many factors, including the cost-of-living crisis brought on by this government, we have many vacant shopfronts. For the first time in my memory, we have spaces vacant in suburbs like Sutherland and Engadine for months on end. In Sutherland in the last two years I have been in parliament, two of the three beautiful local homewares and gift stores have had to close. My Little Dream Co. at Sutherland remains a beautiful independent retailer with the most wonderful children's books, clothes and toys. However, she is now the sole trader in that space. The retail trades have been savaged by the Labor government's policies, including workplace relations.

Now we go to the construction industry. The National Electrical and Communications Association has spoken about the chronic shortage of trades within this sector and the chronic shortage of electricians—we need at least another 85,000 by the end of 2050. This government has no plan on workplace relations to address the critical shortages that our country is facing.

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