21 May, 2012
With 40 days to go until the implementation of the carbon tax, stark warnings today from the dairy and aluminium industries on the tax’s devastating effects on their bottom line beg the question: when will the Gillard government start listening to the Australian people?
John Hannagan, Chairman – Ru...
11 May, 2012
The Gillard Government has in this budget revealed it does not have any plans or a vision for Australian manufacturing.
“At a time of great international uncertainty, with the manufacturing industry facing their greatest crisis of confidence since the Great Depression, the Governmen...
11 May, 2012
Revelations from Greg Combet’s office today that the Manufacturing Technology Innovation Centre announced in Tuesday’s budget is set to be based in a Canberra office block are yet another indication of Mr Combet’s lack of engagement with the manufacturing industry.
“It appears that,...
04 May, 2012
It has emerged today that Alcoa will consider a wage freeze and job cuts as part of its review into the viability of its Port Henry smelter.
Alcoa’s managing director Alan Cransberg recently warned that a carbon tax will make it “harder”.
“Pronouncements by Australian Worke...
01 May, 2012
Julia Gillard’s toxic carbon tax is about to punch another huge hole in Victorian industry, with revelations today that the state’s only brown coal manufacturer has placed its operations under review.
“Industrial Energy General Manager Tony Ferguson‘s statement today that the carbon...
01 May, 2012
Today’s Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) figures for the month of April show yet another sharp decline in manufacturing activity.
“Thirteen of the last 14 months of the Howard Government recorded positive growth in manufacturing, which stands in stark contrast to ...
24 April, 2012
Ford’s announcement today that it may temporarily stand down 1800 workers pending the resolution of a dispute with components manufacturer CMI Industrial is a sign of things to come under the Gillard Government’s carbon tax, said Shadow Industry Minister Sophie Mirabella today.
“At a time w...
16 April, 2012
Christine Milne has started her reign with the astonishing claim that the Greens will block any proposed cuts to research and development (R&D) expenditure, even though it was her party that was complicit in gutting R&D only last year.
The R&D Tax Concession Program, a scheme th...
12 April, 2012
Ex union supremo, Greg Combet, is far more interested in telling industry to “grow up” and conform to Labor’s sectional trade union interests than doing the hard yards, properly engaging with industry and developing a real long term vision.
Mr Combet’s cheap substitute for policy substance ...
05 April, 2012
Science Minister Chris Evans must immediately review corporate governance procedures at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) – following the revelation that the government agency breached competitive neutrality rules to gain an unfair advantage over a private company.&#...