Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry and Science. How will the Albanese Labor government's tax cuts benefit advanced manufacturing workers? What has been the response?

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

I do appreciate getting a question from the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Manufacturing. The member for Calwell knows that the Albanese government is investing in a future for all Australians. We believe in a future made in Australia, creating more well-paid, secure jobs from our cities to our suburbs to our regions. Revitalising our manufacturing capabilities after the pandemic is absolutely crucial, and building up our advanced manufacturing capacity is also very vital. To achieve this we can combine world-leading Australian know-how, our tremendous ability to develop emerging technologies and our abundance of natural resources.

It's terrific to see firsthand, when I travel around the country, fantastic and innovative advanced manufacturers, proving that we can be a country that makes things, including: Formero, in the electorate of Chisholm, which is Australia's largest 3D printer, creating amazing prototypes for everything including medical devices; Vaxxas, from the electorate of Lilley, commercialising needle-free vaccination technology; or Device Technologies, which started in Warringah and opened their Western Sydney facilities last week, with an ambition to manufacture more medical products here in Australia. The work of companies like these has very real potential to change the way we live, and create secure, well-paying jobs. That's why we're backing manufacturing workers with tax cuts so they can keep more of what they earn. For example, a mechanical engineer earning $113,000 is going to be $2,450 better off, an industrial designer earning $86,000 will be $1,657 better off, and a science technician earning $63,000 will be $1,357 better off. These are workers who are literally the future of our nation, creating new products and opportunities, laying the foundations for generations to come, and they deserve a government working with them to build a better future.

Unfortunately, what we see from those opposite is always nasty negativity. They're always talking things down, and only ever talking about manufacturing when they want to bag it out. They had a chance to back the National Reconstruction Fund—they opposed it. They had a chance to back energy price relief for manufacturers—they opposed it. They had a chance to back tax cuts for manufacturing workers—they opposed it, supported it and then said they'll be doing something else about it down the track. They're completely inconsistent, always negative and always nasty. Labor wants people to earn more and keep more of what they earn. Those opposite want people to work longer for less.