Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hurley. First, I remind senators opposite that manufacturing is a strong and critical part of Australia’s economy. It adds value to the resources that we mine. It provides some 10.2 per cent of GDP and accounts for some 9.2 per cent of employment. Mining, by comparison, accounts for eight per cent of GDP and I think some 1.2 per cent of employment. Second, it remains a straw man argument to claim that mining and manufacturing are locked in some sort of zero-sum contest. The fact is that both sectors benefit from the resources boom. The mining boom is creating great demand for products and services. (Time expired)