Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Those opposite would be keen to know, I am sure, that this is an approach that actually works. It makes sure that we get our customers, our contracts and their dollars together. Take, for instance, the coalmining areas and China. Australian industry specialists have been put on the ground, at a cost of some $150,000, and as a result they have been able to secure 13 contracts worth $42 million for Australia. In the past three years, supplier access programs have helped local firms secure $1.8 billion in contracts that otherwise would have gone offshore. We have seen the missions led by Steve Bracks and John Conomos which have recently yielded $60 million of new work in the automotive industry. (Time expired)