MORE TALKFESTS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTION ON MANUFACTURING
30-November-2011
Labor started with an industry policy document in 2007 which suggested improving “dialogue”, “discussions” and a “forum” supported by “councils”, a “partnership” and a “review”. Four years later Julia Gillard has announced today that it’s time to do some more talking.
After taking two months to set up a secretariat and working group to organise the first meeting of a Prime Ministerial Manufacturing Taskforce whose role was supposedly “urgent”, the Government will now draft a work plan and establish a consultation process and consider whether the taskforce should become a permanent tripartite body.
Sadly, this continues a pattern of inaction and ineffectiveness from Labor on the crucial issue of manufacturing. Over their time in office nothing has been generated other than failures and broken promises. All the while more than 136,000 jobs have been lost at the current rate of one every four minutes.
There’s nothing wrong with consultation or the occasional review but this must lead to positive action. And, as BlueScope Chairman and RBA Board Member, Graeme Kraehe, observed at the National Press Club earlier this year when he said this Government’s level of consultation with business is “appalling”, they’re not even any good at it anyway.
When asked in August 2011 what Labor had done for manufacturing in his years as Industry Minister, Kim Carr said that he had changed the name of his department. Although it was an instinctive answer, it was also accurate – because, even against the backdrop of rising pressures, costs and regulations, it’s impossible to nominate a single serious policy achievement from Labor.
The Coalition offered the Government an olive branch in September 2011, when we suggested a series of policy changes to help them chart a more positive manufacturing future.
But regrettably, on the very occasion when it should have picked up the phone for a chat about practical policy improvements, Labor played mute.