Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Australian manufacturers continue to be significantly impacted by the cost-of-living crisis;

(b) the Government still has no plan to tackle inflationary pressures contributing to the rising input costs of manufacturers, with no plans to address:

(i) rising power prices;

(ii) rising interest rates;

(iii) damaging labour shortages; and

(iv) disrupted supply chains; and

(c) the National Reconstruction Fund has not issued a single dollar to our manufacturers and will have a contributory impact on inflation; and

(2) calls on the Government to reveal when the National Reconstruction Fund will make its first investment.

It hasn't been easy since Labor was elected. Yesterday, 21 May, marked the first-year anniversary of Labor coming into government. Families and small businesses are feeling the pinch now more than ever. Spiralling costs in energy, workforce shortages and the supply chain crisis are pushing businesses to the brink.

In last week's budget, the government wasted an opportunity to home in on the issues directly affecting business and middle Australia. Australians waited with bated breath in hope of some relief from the cost-of-living pressures. Millions of Australians were left disappointed with a budget that will spend an additional $185 billion while middle-income Australians won't receive any relief from the strain they're under. During a housing crisis, Labor plans to increase migration by 1.5 million people by 2027. That's more than nine times the population of my electorate of Capricornia. With Queensland's vacancy rate sitting at an extremely tight 0.9 per cent in the first quarter of this year, even more families will be forced onto the street to sleep in their cars or tents. New data released by the Housing Industry Association last Thursday has revealed construction of new dwellings has slowed significantly. The great Australian dream of owning your own home is quickly turning into a nightmare as young Australians wake up to the realisation that they may never have the opportunity to own their home under a Labor government.

This government's policies are causing inflation to stay higher for longer, continuing to put pressure on interest rates. Our core inflation is now higher than every other major advanced economy. There have been no fewer than 10 interest rate rises under this government. It's not just the housing and rental crisis that's also feeling the pinch; energy prices have never been higher since the Labor government was elected a year ago. Electricity prices are skyrocketing and are expected to go up by more than $500. The Albanese government has failed to deliver on its promised electricity price relief—a promise the Prime Minister mentioned 97 times on his campaign trail. Those opposite only have a plan for meeting climate targets, not ensuring our energy remains reliable.

These targets in the establishment of renewable energy projects are going to hit the hip pocket of the everyday Australian. To meet the minister for the environment's 82 per cent renewable energy target by 2032 will require 22,000 solar panels to be installed every day and 40 wind turbines to be erected every month between now and 2030. To distribute this renewable energy, more than $100 billion needs to be spent on the 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines. These poles and lines will run through prime farming land, pristine national parks and suburbs right across the country. The sites for these projects are completely inappropriate. This is going to be hugely detrimental to the environment and also to the budgets of families and businesses as costs to achieve this renewable energy push will be passed on to the consumer.

Reckless policy interventions into the energy market have stalled gas supplies, bringing with that skyrocketing prices impacting every aspect of production. This is adding to the costs along supply chain from the producer to the checkout. The manufacturing industry is one of the biggest consumers of energy in the country. High-energy-using businesses are going to be slapped with substantial hikes in power prices. Two hundred and twelve of Australia's largest manufacturing businesses will be hit with Labor's safeguard mechanism carbon tax, putting more jobs at risk through a poor piece of climate change policy aimed at punishing the engine room of our economy. The very businesses who brought this government a $4 billion surplus are being punished. Labor has no plan for improving this industry to allow for the growth of jobs and the economy in the manufacturing sector.

Despite promising over and over again that their National Reconstruction Fund would reinvigorate manufacturing in Australia, there was next to nothing in the budget to roll out this program. A year has been lost for manufacturers while this government delays crucial support for the industry. Labor halted the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, aimed at supporting and growing the industry. Not one cent has been delivered through the National Reconstruction Fund to date. Under the former Rudd-Gillard Labor government, manufacturing contribution to GDP fell by $7 billion, and 6,800 manufacturing businesses closed their doors. It seems that, under the Albanese government, the manufacturing industry is set to go the same way.

This government must address the critical issues affecting the manufacturing sector through policies that create strong economic conditions. This past year has formed the question: are we better off now under a Labor government than we were 12 months ago?

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