John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I would like to speak on a matter which I believe should be at the forefront of every senator's mind when we consider legislation in this house—that is, the dignity of work and the sense of self-worth and community responsibility gainful employment delivers. Whether we are considering the current carbon tax legislation, which I do not intend to speak about tonight, or legislation on land, water, minerals or communities, in fact almost any bill we examine, we will be considering issues that affect Australian workers, families and communities involved in the manufacturing and farming sectors.

Manufacturing involves real people, real jobs, real skills and real prosperity. It also delivers tangible social and economic benefits. Approximately 100 years ago in Ballarat, my home town, HV McKay set up, having come from Elmore, which is north of Bendigo, and built the famous Sunshine Harvesters. After he left Ballarat he set up the famous HV Mackay Sunshine Harvester Works, the largest implement works in the Southern Hemisphere, which is where the harvester case came from. As much as I would have disagreed with Hugh McKay on his industrial relations stance, he did provide worker housing and let workers pay off their homes. He did have some sense of community responsibility, which is still in evidence today with the homes that are dotted around Sunshine and Albion.

Australian businesses are not competing on a level playing field, yet they are competing. Many businesses across the length and breadth of Australia are at the technological cutting edge. Our manufacturing sector feels that it is under siege and our farming sector feels like it is being taken for granted. Quite frankly, almost every worker and farmer I have spoken to believes they have been forgotten by some members in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, not just under this government but under successive governments. As I said in my first speech, during my time here, however long that may be, I hope to take steps to change this situation and restore the confidence of Australia's industry to the best of my ability for the betterment of Australian families and workers. One of the ways I hope to achieve this is by raising the awareness of members of both houses of the daily pressures facing Australian workers, manufacturers and farmers. It is for that reason that I advise that I will be seeking to establish a manufacturing-farming sector parliamentary program similar to the one that we are all aware of for the ADF, which has so successfully raised among parliamentarians the level of understanding of and support for the sacrifice and devotion of members of our defence forces for the protection of our country and its people.

Australian workers, whether they work in the agricultural sector or the manufacturing sector, are the people whose hard work and devotion keep our nation alive—they pay taxes and they contribute to local communities. These people are losing their jobs. Just today, 20-odd workers in my home town of Ballarat lost their jobs at ECM, where the privatised workshops of the Country Fire Authority used to build the fire trucks for Victoria. Also, a couple of months ago another 25 workers lost their jobs at Walkabout clothing. Each day I go to my office, which is opposite Centrelink in Ballarat, I see people walking into Centrelink to apply for benefits or to collect them, and I see the despondent look on their faces. When people lose their jobs there are mental health problems like depression, there is drug and alcohol abuse and there is vandalism. We quite often talk here about the cost of things to our nation and what it does to the bottom line, but the worst cost is in people. We also talk about intergenerational unemployment. If you go into the working suburbs of Ballarat you see the look on these people's faces when they are walking home at night and there is a total sense of despondency. It should cut all of us to the quick to think that people feel life is so hopeless.

As you would imagine, after sitting through several months in the Senate I was unsure how senators and members would view my proposal for this manufacturing-farming sector parliamentary program. I had my doubts whether I could get anyone to consider the idea, let alone get bipartisan support. However, I can report with great pleasure that I have found considerable support from senators and members from all parties. I can also report that, having spoken to many businesses—small, medium and large—there is an overwhelming enthusiasm for the program, and they have asked to be included in its establishment. These groups, representing hundreds of businesses and many thousands of people, can see how beneficial it would be for every aspect of their industry to be opened up, showcased and examined by their parliamentarians.

The opportunity to experience the day-to-day lives of workers, farmers, their families and communities across the length and breadth of Australia would help to give each of us a greater insight into how much our decisions affect their lives. I am hopeful to announce the details of the proposed program early in December in Ballarat, and I have already received a great response from many here and in the other house. With this level of support, I am sure that the program will be seen as worthwhile and will receive the support it must have from the government and the opposition.