The Howard Government has squandered an ideal opportunity to strengthen Australian manufacturing to drive future productivity gains and exports.
The manufacturing sector urgently needs support to boost skills training, encourage innovation, modernise transport infrastructure and build export markets. The Government has not adequately addressed any of these pressing priorities in the budget.
Most disappointing of all the Government has ignored calls from the Labor Party, unions and industry groups for the introduction of a national manufacturing policy.
The Howard Government continues to pursue band-aid measures to fix our deepening skills shortage. They have imported 178,000 extra skilled migrants since 1997 but have turned away more than 270,000 Australians from TAFEs since 1998.
The Labor Party wants to train Australians to solve the country’s skills crisis and believes apprentices should receive incentives to complete their training. At present 40 per cent of Australian apprentices do not complete their apprenticeships. The Howard Government’s much vaunted Technical Colleges, if they commence at all, will not produce their first tradesperson until 2010.
The Government has announced nothing new to solve the transport infrastructure problems that are holding back Australian manufacturing.
Even after strong urging from the Australian Industry Group and the Australia China Business Council the Government, has failed to heed the call for a national manufacturing policy.
This budget represents a squandered opportunity. The Government’s disgraceful neglect shows their contempt for manufacturing workers, businesses and the economy as a whole.
Contact: Taryn Langdon 0417 148 059 or 02 6277 3334
