Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed, they are on the road to recession. The approach to economic management being exhibited is completely irresponsible. We talk about co-investment or, to pick up Senator Ryan's comments, subsidy, because that is what governments around the world do—they compare the benefits of supporting one industry or another with the impact on the economy overall of losing that activity. Jobs, manufacturing, research and development and a skilled labour force all contribute to a vibrant and healthy economy. It is difficult to believe that Australia will be any better off without an automotive industry. I have been in industry policy debates involving coalition colleagues in years gone by, and we have talked about the benefits of maintaining an automotive industry—the importance for skilling and defence, for instance. I have mentioned food processing. We need to contemplate food security issues as well.

This government, Mr Hockey and Senator Cormann have failed to offer any cogent explanation for why they are deciding to intervene in one case and not another. The suggestion that it is Coca-Cola Amatil as opposed to Cadbury or a small seafood operator in Tasmania simply does not cut the mustard. This government needs a cogent industry policy. It does not have one at the moment. All we hear is glib rhetoric—let's blame the workers, let's blame the workers' conditions, let's suggest that these workers do not have a right to expect a job that pays somewhere around $50,000 or $60,000 a year, let's suggest that there is something wrong with the workers in these cases, as opposed to addressing the need for a cogent industry policy.

We have heard Mr Abbott make incorrect references to enterprise agreements and, as I mentioned before, Mr Hockey has said that the age of entitlement is over. I do not know any Australians who really do think that they are in the age of entitlement but to suggest that workers do not deserve good jobs is rubbish. (Time expired)