Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have to thank my neighbour the member for Chifley for giving me, yet again, another opportunity to talk about manufacturing, because he knows how much I back Aussie manufacturing in my electorate of Lindsay. I love promoting the incredible work that Australian manufacturers, including the 600 manufacturers in my community, are doing each and every day. I'm passionate about enabling our manufacturers to grow, expand, scale up and take on apprentices. They're all telling me how many apprentices they're now taking on, including Baker and Provan who took on two female apprentices, young women who are wanting to work in the manufacturing industry, and that is absolutely wonderful to see. Most importantly, they're creating more local jobs.

It's particularly important to be highlighting manufacturing because it is 'Aussie Made Week', and there is nothing I support more than getting behind Australian-made. While I'm delighted, I'm also a bit surprised that the Labor Party wanted to bring up their record on manufacturing, because those opposite haven't manufactured a decent policy in years. In fact, at the last election they manufactured $387 billion of new, increased taxes, burdening Australian families and businesses. They manufactured one energy policy in Queensland and another in inner-city Melbourne. They manufactured plenty, but Australia wasn't buying. They are still on the production line. The cogs are turning and the engines are whirring, but they're coming up empty yet again.

Unlike those opposite, the Morrison government is backing manufacturers to do what they do best, and I can tell you what they're achieving and what we're achieving. We have expanded tax relief for hardworking businesses. We're encouraging manufacturers to take on new apprentices with 50 per cent wage subsidies. We're removing unnecessary red tape. We're delivering a record infrastructure investment pipeline. We're opening new export markets, which will benefit businesses in Western Sydney, with the incoming Western Sydney international airport. We're encouraging them to buy the equipment they need to scale up by extending the instant asset write-off. The list goes on. We're locking in affordable and reliable energy that manufacturers can count on.

Aussie manufacturers in Western Sydney know that we have their back. I established the Advancing Manufacturing Taskforce to identify the challenges facing Aussie manufacturers and to explore the great opportunities that we can be front and centre on in Western Sydney. In the last year alone, the taskforce and I met with the Prime Minister and the minister for industry, and, last week, the minister for small business, because we care about creating an environment in Western Sydney where manufacturers can thrive. The Morrison government is supporting manufacturers like Visy in Penrith, which is really exciting to see, with the extension of the accelerated depreciation program. Whether you are Pandrol, SpanSet, Plustec, Grant Engineered, Custom Denning or another one of the 600 manufacturers in Lindsay, you know that the Morrison government wants you to succeed.

The opposition also want to talk about creating jobs in manufacturing, and this is an area that I am also passionate about. Manufacturing remains Australia's sixth-largest industry, currently employing 902,000 people. Since the COVID-induced low, over 54,000 manufacturing jobs have been recovered. The Australian Industry Group's Performance of Manufacturing Index is also increasing—in fact, all six manufacturing sectors expanded in April, as did all seven of the activity indicators. Across the economy, there are more Australians in work now than before the coronavirus pandemic, and April's job numbers showed the strength of Australia's economic recovery, with unemployment falling to 5.5 per cent, and that's over the seventh consecutive month.

In my electorate of Lindsay, as I said, there are 600 manufacturers, employing over 6,000 people, and I want to see this number grow. A key part of this is delivering affordable, reliable energy, so that our manufacturers can compete on the global stage. Our investments in energy, in gas and in fuel security will not only deliver energy that manufacturers and heavy industry can rely on but also create thousands and thousands of jobs across our country.

The Morrison government won't stand in the way of manufacturers. We're backing them. We're clearing the roadblocks to enable them to do what they do best, with tax relief, support to take on apprentices, incentives to invest more in their business, affordable and reliable energy and more opportunity to grow and create jobs. Our plan is working, and our local manufacturers— (Time expired)

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