Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question. Again I thank the minister for that comprehensive answer and I ask: can the minister explain to the Senate how the manufacturing sector has responded to the global recession? In light of the government’s ongoing commitment to the industry, what are its prospects, both immediate and in the long term? Are there signs of a recovery in local manufacturing as the world begins to move out of recession? What evidence is there to support this? What does this tell us about the staying power of manufacturing and its potential contribution to Australia’s prosperity in the decades ahead?