Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about the importance of manufacturing in regional Australia and in particular its importance to my electorate of Wannon. The Australian manufacturing industry is at the core of our country's economic and social wellbeing and underpins our standard of living. It creates the businesses in our regional communities from which jobs and revenue are generated. It is the basis of Australia's productive capacity and one of the cornerstones of our future prosperity.

In my electorate of Wannon I recently welcomed the announcement that the Department of Defence would enter into a short-term agreement to purchase 101 Bushmaster vehicles from Thales in Bendigo. AME Systems, which is based in Ararat in my electorate, supplies the circuitry not only for the Bushmasters but also for Kenworth trucks. AME Systems is Ararat's largest manufacturer and employs 250 people. It has been in business for 34 years under the stewardship of the Carthew family. I would like to recognise in particular the contribution that Peter Carthew has made to the company and also to the Ararat community. This short-term commitment by the Gillard government is welcome, but given Labor's string of manufacturing policy backflips and unravelling promises the Gillard government needs to commit to supporting the local defence industry and to providing some certainty to the manufacturing industry in western Victoria. The Gillard Labor government needs to make a decision regarding the Land 121 phase 3 and phase 4 projects for a range of protected and unprotected medium to heavy vehicles to ensure the long-term viability of manufacturing jobs in western Victoria.

It is of particular importance that the Gillard government does this. Rather than introducing a carbon tax which is likely to threaten jobs in regional manufacturing industries, we need some sign of leadership from this government to show that it cares about manufacturing jobs in regional country towns. If they commit to phase 3 and phase 4 of the project, we will see certainty for jobs not only in Bendigo but also in Ararat. So drop the carbon tax, get with the game and get behind defence industry in regional Australia.