Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I see my colleague from Victoria casts some aspersions about that. The automotive industry in Victoria constitutes two per cent of state GDP, and it is 2½ per cent in South Australia. This senator, who represents the state of Victoria, seems to think it is humorous that some 60,000 families in this country are facing this sort of challenge. And what is the government’s response? It is: ‘We will do nothing. We made arrangements in 2002 and we have to do nothing into the future.’

We have made it very clear that other measures are also required. We have made commitments to boost our national research and development and to ensure that our industries are able to be well resourced and supported by a Commonwealth Labor government. We have indicated that we will commit $100 million to a national network of manufacturing centres to help small and medium sized manufacturers to find new ideas and new technologies that will help them innovate and become more productive. Mr Sid Sidebottom, the ALP candidate in Braddon, has made a particular point of lobbying to ensure that opportunities are pursued in Northern Tasmania to build the capacity of manufacturers in the seat of Braddon. (Time expired)