Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question and her great advocacy for rural and regional Australia. Yes, Australian exporters are a key component of our economy. That was exemplified in today's national accounts, where the largest contributor to growth in the September quarter was net exports, with a contribution of 1.5 percentage points to GDP growth.

The excellence of our exporters was on display at the 53rd annual Australian Export Awards gala, held in Melbourne last Friday and attended by the Minister for Trade and Investment and my colleague the Minister for International Education and Tourism—at least, according to the tweets he was there—to celebrate the achievements of Australia's finest export businesses. The Export Awards are co-presented by Austrade, ACCI and CPA Australia. ANCA was awarded the honour of Australian Exporter of the Year by the Minister for Trade and Investment in front of more than 500 attendees.

Senator McKenzie will be happy to know that ANCA is a Victorian success story. Founded and still headquartered in Melbourne, specialising in high-tech tool and cutter grinders, ANCA was also named the winner in this year's manufacturing category. ANCA has been a leader in this field for more than 40 years, having been founded in 1974 by two enterprising engineers with a desire to develop world-leading, computer controlled machinery. Since then, ANCA has gone from strength to strength and is now a significant Australian exporter, selling its products across the world and on track for a record year of growth. ANCA has hired 160 new employees to meet the increasing demand for their products. ANCA is proof that Australia has a very healthy manufacturing future with high-quality, innovative, value-adding products.