Media Statement - 10th September 2007
Federal Labor Leader, Kevin Rudd, will today (September 10) host a
National Manufacturing Roundtable at Parliament House to bring together
stakeholders and experts critical to the future of Australian
manufacturing.
Participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities for Australian manufacturing over two sessions:
- Fostering the competitiveness of Australian manufacturing; and
- New opportunities for Australian manufacturing.
In preparation for the event, Federal Labor has circulated Fresh
Ideas for Australian Manufacturing as a background paper. This paper
provides an overview of the current state of Australian manufacturing,
outlines key issues and suggested policy options, and details Federal
Labor's existing policies as they affect the manufacturing sector.
Federal Labor’s National Manufacturing Roundtable is about encouraging fresh ideas to address rising challenges to take manufacturing through the 21st century.
The manufacturing roundtable participants will include representatives from:
- Industry organisations and the labour movement;
- Successful manufacturing businesses;
- Research and innovation agencies; and
- Economics and finance communities.
The roundtable will be chaired by Bob Herbert, founder and former
Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group and Chair of the
National Manufacturing Forum.
At the heart of the roundtable is Labor’s commitment to working in
partnership with industry for a prosperous future. Fresh Ideas for
Australian Manufacturing argues that manufacturing, as a key driver of
innovation, is crucial in maintaining Australia’s prosperity beyond the
mining boom.
Manufacturing is responsible for almost 39 per cent of business
expenditure on research and development, the core of innovation, the
most of any sector. Australian manufacturing also accounts for more
than $75 billion a year in exports and more than one million jobs,
despite a significant slowdown over the last decade.
Between 1983 and 1996, manufacturing exports grew at a rate of 14.8 per
cent a year, while over the last five years growth has fallen to just
1.8 per cent. It has been estimated that in the last decade more than
100,000 jobs have been lost from the sector.
The paper outlines major new challenges including: globalisation and
the rise of China; the impact of the mining boom; and global concerns
about climate change.
Nevertheless, Federal Labor is optimistic about the future of
Australian manufacturing. In moving forward, the paper presents a
number of policy options while highlighting the importance of national
leadership for industry.
The paper makes clear that Federal Labor believes that innovation
policy is industry policy for the 21st century and it requires strong
national leadership. Federal Labor is committed to building a truly
national innovation system to foster a new and vibrant culture of
innovation.
In April this year Federal Labor announced a 10-point plan to create a
more innovative, productive and competitive Australia – New Directions
for Innovation, Competitiveness and Productivity.
Federal Labor is ready to work with manufacturers to help the sector grow and expand. We have already announced initiatives such as:
- $2 Billion Green Car Partnership: Investing $500 million in a “Green Car Innovation Fund” designed to generate $2 billion in investment to support innovation in vehicle technology which reduces emissions.
- $200 million to establish 10 Enterprise Connect innovation centres
around Australia: to connect business people with new ideas, including
$100 million to establish a Manufacturing Network: a network of
manufacturing centres around Australia to help small and medium
manufacturing businesses access new technology and improve productivity.
- Industry Innovation Councils: to build partnerships among all participants in the supply chain and develop long-term strategic approaches to improving productivity.
- A department to provide innovation leadership: By bringing together the key policy areas of innovation, industry, science and research.
Federal Labor has also announced that it will bring forward the
scheduled reviews into the car industry and the textile, clothing and
footwear industry, to examine all issues affecting the competitiveness
of these sectors.
In addition, Federal Labor will restore public benefit as the primary
goal of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) program – a critical
program for linking research with industry – and use the scheduled 2008
review to thoroughly examine the fundamentals of this program.
Federal Labor believes that national policy leadership is critical to
the future of Australian manufacturing and looks forward to a
productive discussion with stakeholders and experts today.
NOTE 1: For related articles, visit: http://eherald.alp.org.au/articles/0907/natp11-01.php and http://eherald.alp.org.au/articles/0907/natp13-01.php
NOTE 2: A montage of pictures from the Roundtable event are presented below.
