Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

The government contends that this inquiry is simply a stunt. On this side of the chamber we know that industry is the driver of Australian business and the Australian economy, with manufacturing a fundamental building block of our five-pillar economy. We know that the role of the government is to provide a sound framework for manufacturers and businesses to grow and create new opportunities. We are tackling these challenges in Victoria and South Australia, in particular, via a thorough and transparent economic review process. The independent panel members have taken detailed submissions from a wide range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing, engineering, electrical, defence and biotechnology. The Australian government is considering all the information gathered from the panel reports and is developing the strongest policy framework in order to reignite opportunities for industry.

Question agreed to.