It’s time to manufacture jobs
Last week, the National Party’s Backbench Policy Committee released its Manufacturing 2035 which outlined the National Party’s vision for the manufacturing industry and a broad policy platform to help encourage industry growth.
The 9-point plan’s goal is to double the employment in Australian manufacturing, to counter the trend of continuing employment stagnation in the industry.
The continued disruption of global supply chains over the last year has really brought to light how important it is to stand on our own two feet as a country when it comes to manufacturing.
Now is the perfect time to give our manufacturing sector the incentive to ramp up and deliver more jobs for Australians and deliver more Australian products to the market.
Employment in manufacturing has dropped from its peak employment of almost 1.2 million Australians in the 1990s, down to a new record low of fewer than 850,000.
This plan aims to tackle all areas to bring about an upward trend in manufacturing jobs, from things like tax incentives and upskilling, to taking advantage of our rich energy reserves such as coal and gas.
It won’t happen overnight, but we must do everything we can to get Australia making things again.
Other policies suggested in the plan include:
Task the Anti-Dumping Commission to assess subsidies provided by foreign governments and taking countervailing action to protect Australian industry against such unfair competition,
Provide tax concessions and low cost finance to investments that will boost Australian manufacturing jobs,
Introduce a Buy Australian Act that would give preference to Australian made goods in government contracts,
Increase trade promotion and harmonising skills across the manufacturing sector,
Build a new coal fired power station and exploring for a new oil basin, and
Establish an Office of Regional Manufacturing with offices in Gladstone and Newcastle to promote manufacturing opportunities in Regional Australia.
The plan has been developed after extensive consultations with Nationals Party Members of Parliament and their constituents.
“We must take radical action to reverse the trend in fewer things being made in Australia. That means reinvesting in our natural energy resources like coal and gas, protecting Australian jobs from unfair overseas competition and giving greater preference to Australian made goods in government contracts” said Senator Matthew Canavan, chair of the Nationals Backbench policy committee.
“The Nationals Party has a proud record of backing Australian manufacturing. Over 30 per cent of Australians employed in manufacturing live outside the capital cities. The Nationals are fighting for these workers and their hopes for a stronger Australian manufacturing industry. I want to thank all of my Nationals party colleagues for contributing to this plan over the past year.
“The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the need for Australia to make things here again. Nationals backbench members are proposing this plan to help Australia recover from the pandemic and come out of it with a stronger industry able to confront the economic and security challenges in our region.
“Some of the ideas in this paper challenge longstanding commitments to free trade and the removal of industry protection. But with rising security challenges in our region we must also recognise the priority to back Australian industrial development” said Senator Canavan.
The Nationals Backbench Committee has presented its report to the Nationals leadership.
“The Morrison-McCormack Government has made manufacturing a key priority and we hope this plan can build on the excellent work already being done by the government in this area” said Senator Canavan.