Blog Response to Politifact Australia Article 11/7/13 ‘To what extent is Australia a world leader’

Thursday 25^th July 2013

 

The Hon Kelvin Thomson MP

 

Blog Response to Politifact Australia Article 11/7/13

‘To what extent is Australia a world leader’

Here are the facts

 

I would like to thank Politifact for querying whether Australia is a world leader in many fields, as I am always happy to discuss and promote Australian businesses and exporters.

 

Independent Research Australian Export Success

The Milken Innovation Report, based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2011-12, found that Australia is a leading country in innovation in university- industry collaboration, R&D expenditure, patents and science education. It further found that Australia is above average in technology exports which includes high value goods such as computers and pharmaceuticals.

 

In past studies conducted by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Australia ranked first as a location to conduct clinical trials and second overall for the competitiveness of its biotechnology. The EIU ranked Australia as second in the Asia Pacific region for IT industry competitiveness. 

 

In my role and travels as Parliamentary Secretary for Trade, it was very clear to me that Australian businesses are increasingly becoming renowned domestically and abroad for their high quality, top end, high value, and niche products.  You can’t export if your product isn’t world-leading, and many Australian exporters are succeeding with world-leading products.

 

I visited the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Bendigo, Geelong and eastern Melbourne, as part of my Trade Outreach Program.

 

In April I visited Queensland and I met with PWR Performance Products, recipients of the Prime Minister’s Australian Exporter of the Year Award 2012. PWR design, develop, manufacture and export premium products for high performance motor vehicles in the elite racing market.

 

I visited NOJA Power who specialise in the research and development and manufacturing of low and medium voltage switchgear assemblies for industry, infrastructure and electricity distribution utilities, and are represented in more than 80 countries.

 

I met with Populous Australia, part of a global collective of architects, designers, technical experts and industry veterans that design stadiums and sports facilities, including London Olympic Stadium, Etihad Stadium and Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand.

 

I visited the University of Queensland’s Institute of Continuing and TESOL Education, which delivers education and training to more than 6,500 student participants from over 60 countries.

 

I hosted a Trade and Exporter Roundtable in Gold Coast where I met with some very successful and innovative Australian exporters including Morlife, Technigro, Miessence, Icon Software Solutions and others.

 

In Sydney I met with Auto-Bake, which is a global designer and supplier of fully automated industrial baking ovens and systems. Internationally renowned for its innovative Serpentine technology, Auto-Bake’s compact, cost-efficient, continuous baking solutions are custom configured for a diverse range of baking applications.

 

In Sydney I also met with ResMed, a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment for treating, diagnosing and managing sleep disorder breathing and other respiratory diseases.

 

In Newcastle I met with DSI, Australia’s largest manufacturer and supplier of specialist strata reinforcement and support products to the underground coal and metalliferous mining sectors, and is a major exporter to the Asia-Pacific Region.

 

In April I visited Bendigo where I met with the Australian Turntable Company, who design, manufacture a range of products including car and truck turntables, heavy engineering solutions for the mining industry, residential and commercial management solutions and revolving restaurants and rooms. In Bendigo I hosted a regional Agribusiness Roundtable where I met with Munari Wines, EV Olives, Wisa Global, and B&B Basil. I later met with Keech Australia who design and manufacture high integrity steel casting applications for mining, agriculture, construction, railway and defence. I met with Kluwell Publications and VEA Group who are doing great work in the educational sectors.

 

In May I showcased Geelong to 13 Consuls-General where we met with CSIRO Animal Health Laboratory, who are undertaking ground-breaking work in responding to emerging and exotic animal diseases at home and abroad, including in Asia. I met with Backwell IXL appliance, car component, and foundry products manufacturer. I visited Cotton On who’re a global retail chain which began in Geelong with a range of key products including clothing, cosmetics and house decour, with over 800 stores worldwide. I hosted a trade roundtable which consisted of Aircraft Plastics Australia, Riordan Group, Stuck on You and other local businesses and exporters. I met with Boundary Bend who are Australia’s largest olive producer, with 2.5 million producing trees on 6,240 hectares. I met with RPC Technologies who supply corrosion resistant, structural fibre reinforced plastic fabrications, piping and ducting systems, acid resistant heavy duty linings and specialist composite products for defence.

 

In my own electorate of Wills I held a Trade Roundtable and met with bambis, who produce and distribute the well-known and successful Salt and Pepper homeware range,  and Pneuvay Engineering, who specialise in pneumatic conveying, industrial vacuum cleaning and materials handling components systems.

 

There are many other examples. According to Dr Donald Hector, Chemical Engineer and former company director (article ‘How to revive Australia’s manufacturing sector’ 11/11/11), CSL successfully made the transition from being a government owned corporation to a highly competitive, publicly owned company. It is now one of the biggest blood-products producers in the world. Tasmanian Alkaloids is the largest producer of medical opium alkaloids in the world.

 

Cochlear is another high value added exporter, and leading global expert in implantable hearing solutions. The Cochlear implant is one of numerous successful Australian products.

 

Another successful Australian company going international is ComputerShare. According to Austrade, over the past five years Australia’s Computershare has become the world’s largest provider of investor services, servicing more than 100 million shareholder accounts. With operations and 12,000 employees in more than 20 countries, Computershare is the prominent force in share registration, employee equity plans, proxy solicitation, dividend payments, and other specialised financial, governance and stakeholder support. Since 1978, the Melbourne-based company has grown to become a A$4.5 billion business by continuing to invest in its proprietary technology and product development. Revenue in 2011 was about US$1.6 billion, more than 75 per cent of which came from outside Australia.

 

Exporter Awards

The Australia Export Award recipients and Hall of Fame inductees illustrate the diversity of products, technologies, skills and services Australia is becoming increasingly renowned for; ranging from LaserVision who specialise in high impact entertainment communications, Ausenco, a leading provider of engineering and project management services to global resource and energy sectors, Casella Wines, and the University of New South Wales, to name a few.

 

The overall picture

Australia posted its third trade surplus in as many months in April 2013, reflecting the resilience of the economy despite global weakness. Data from the ABS shows Australia recorded a seasonally adjusted surplus of $28 million in April, as imports increased and exports fell slightly. April’s figure compares with a March surplus of $555 million, revised up from $307 million. On the export side the value of agricultural shipments rose 2% or $64 million, to $3.2billion. Of this exports of meat increased 3%, to $680 million for the month. Compared with April 2012, Australia's merchandise exports to China increased 16%, to $7.4 billion. There was also 5.5% growth, to $1.5 billion, in exports to South Korea. Exports to India were 17% higher for the month and up more than 8% over the year.

 

Australian economy and state of Australian business- The Facts

Business has invested over $1 trillion in Australia since Labor came to power in 2007. A strong investment outlook remains for Australia, with a record $268 billion at an advanced stage – helping to boost the productive capacity of our economy.

 

It is a myth that we are a high taxing government or a highly taxed country. The latest OECD estimates of total tax revenue as a percentage of GDP show Australia at under 26%, well under the OECD average of over 33%.

 

Australia’s economy stands as a beacon of resilience in the world, with contained inflation, low unemployment, low government debt and low interest rates. Interest rates have fallen from 6.75% to 2.75% since 2007 – the lowest rates since Menzies was Prime Minister.

 

Australia has a AAA credit rating with a stable outlook from all three ratings agencies. We are amongst only 8 nations in the world to have this.

 

Unemployment in Wills-the facts

The Politifacts article questions whether local businesses in Wills are helping to create jobs.

 

The March Quarter Unemployment figure for Wills was 4%, which compares favourably to the March Quarter of 2012 when it was 5.3%.

 

The continuing fall in unemployment in Wills demonstrates the economic management credentials of the Labor Government, helping reinforce Australia as a leading country for economic growth and employment.

 

With unemployment rates above 25 per cent in both Greece and Spain, and a staggering 50 plus per cent youth unemployment rate in both countries, results like these in Wills and nationally are the envy of the industrialised world.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Kelvin Thomson

Kelvin Thomson Meets with Officials from SP AusNet Regarding Brunswick Terminal Station

On Tuesday 5^th March I met with representatives from SP AusNet to discuss and convey the concerns of local residents regarding the Brunswick Terminal Station (BTS).

I conveyed the wishes of residents to hold a Town Hall style meeting with SP AusNet officials, and other relevant stakeholders associated with the BTS project. SP AusNet officials stated they have undertaken community consultation over the last 2 years through the community working group, and hold an open forum at CERES in Brunswick, and would not agree to a Town Hall style meeting.

I conveyed the concerns of residents regarding the terminology and descriptions used to describe the BTS works, sought clarification on the exact nature of the works and the associated timelines. SP AusNet officers stated the site is classified as a terminal station, which used to have a 66kv facility, followed by 22kv. SP AusNet officers said they’re installing a 66kv facility on site as part of the current works and that there’s no generation equipment.

We discussed the economic modelling of undergrounding some BTS works, including the line to Thomastown, and the affect and impact the work may have on Brunswick residents in terms of health and amenity. SP AusNet officers stated this proposal was not part of their brief, which is dictated by the regulator. Having said that, the officials were prepared to consider providing me with an estimate. They gave an example of another power station which only needed 800meters of underground cabling which cost several million dollars. The officials said it’s around 10km to Thomastown, so it could potentially be hundreds of millions of dollars.

I discussed the preliminary plan for the site, including the landscaping plan, as well as options for ongoing community feedback as the project unfolds. SP AusNet representatives contest the community’s assessment of the work and believe the new buildings will be less visually intrusive.

I conveyed the community’s suggestion that SP Ausnet consider establishing an ongoing Working Party with Residents to discuss dust and noise issues. SP Aus Net were opposed to this idea. They stated that Council Officers have access to the site and they are working with Council and discussing issues on an ongoing basis.

I am committed to working closely with local residents and relevant stakeholders to put resident concerns to the forefront of all decisions concerning the BTS. I look forward to continue working with residents in support of their BTS Campaign.

Anti-Discrimination Bill

In December I expressed concern about the proposal in the proposed Anti-Discrimination Bill to make it unlawful to offend or insult others. I agreed with ABC Chairman and former New South Wales Chief Justice Jim Spigelman, who said that freedom to offend is integral to free speech and that there is no right not to be offended.

I welcome today’s reports that the Attorney-General is now giving a revised Anti-Discrimination Bill to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee for its consideration. I particularly welcome the fact that section 19(2)(b), which lists “conduct that offends, insults or intimidates”, is to be deleted.

The draft Bill was of course released for public comment, and the fact that the Senate Committee has received 525 submissions shows there has been plenty of public interest in this Bill. The Attorney-General should be congratulated for listening to public concerns.

Like other Australians I will continue to be interested in this issue. In Victoria, for example, for someone to be in breach of the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, they must incite hatred against, serious contempt for, revulsion, or severe ridicule. This is much less threatening to freedom of speech than “conduct which offends”, and is worthy of consideration.

September 14 Federal Election

The Prime Minister’s announcement of a date for the Federal Election is good news for Australia and Australians. It means both the public and private sectors can plan the next eight months in an organised way. This increased certainty is good for business, good for the public service – both Commonwealth and State – and good for community groups and NGOs.

There should be less focus on whether the Prime Minister’s decision is politically clever or not, and more focus on whether it is a good decision for the nation, which it is.

Indeed it would be a good thing if both Government and Opposition committed to fixing Commonwealth election dates in advance. It already happens in the US, and in a number of Australian States, and it works well.

Labor Leader in Western Australia Supports Chilled Meat Trade

I support and congratulate Western Australia’s Opposition Leader, Mark McGowan, for his commitment to promoting, through consultation with the live export industry, a chilled meat trade as an animal welfare measure if elected as Premier on March 9.

Mr McGowan said on Sunday, January 27 when officially launching WA Labor's campaign that:

“You have to take all the steps you can to create more jobs in Australia, so that's why I'm talking more about processing meat in Australia as opposed to overseas”.

"What the state can do is work with proponents who might want to set up meatworks and help them secure labour to do so”.

The live export trade is not only a failure of ethics but a failure of economics. We should move towards a viable alternative – a local chilled meat export industry that protects and creates more Australian rural jobs, results in higher profitability through value added opportunities and addresses the public’s welfare concerns.

In 2011 the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU), estimated that some 3,500 direct employment meat processing jobs have been lost because of the Australian live animal trade.  World Society for the Protection of Animals research indicates that the direct and indirect jobs created by growing the domestic meat processing industry would in fact exceed those that would be lost from the live export trade.

Transitioning away from live exports and into domestic processing would be better for both animal welfare and for Australian jobs. I commend Mr McGowan for his policy vision.

Reforming Question Time

Liberal Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne has suggested a ‘backbench question time’ so that MPs can ask Ministers questions without notice, for example, about important issues in their electorates. The thing is, that’s exactly what we have right now. The problem is that neither Government nor Opposition Parties use it. They use Question Time to pursue their favoured political issue of the day.

Neither Government nor Opposition MPs are permitted to ask questions of their own. Christopher Pyne as Manager of Opposition Business has been one of the worst offenders.

In the last week of Parliament last year the Opposition asked the questions it was allocated –35 questions – about the Australian Workers Union in the mid 1990s when Julia Gillard worked for Slater and Gordon. Their questions concerned an issue which no constituent has ever expressed any interest to me about, and which is nearly twenty years old.

There are no doubt any number of issues which Opposition MPs could have raised and would have liked to have raised instead. Parliament would have been a much more genuinely representative voice of Australian voters if they had been raised.

Christopher Pyne doesn’t need to win an election to reform Question Time. If he is serious about reforming Question Time, it’s in his power already. He can start next week.

The Emperor’s New Clothes

The Emperor’s New Clothes is an old fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen about an Emperor who is deceived by two swindlers who pretend to dress him in the finest suit of clothes, while providing him with no clothing at all. They get away with this by saying the ‘fabric’ is invisible to anyone unfit for his position or ‘hopelessly stupid’. The Emperor falls for this, as do his advisers, and he parades naked down the street. The townsfolk, not wishing to appear stupid either, say nothing. Finally the nonsense is exposed by a child in the crowd who yells out “The Emperor has no clothes”.

I was reminded of this story when I read that 14 year old Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, had an essay she had been asked to write for US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s e-journal drastically edited before it was to be published.

Why the censorship? Well Bindi was asked to write 1000 words on why she had chosen to devote her life’s work to wildlife conservation. The article was to be part of Secretary Clinton’s Endangered Species Initiative. Bindi wrote her 1000 words mostly about global overpopulation. It came back with the parts about population edited out.

Pity. Because if we genuinely want to help the world’s endangered species, we need to tackle the rapid population growth which has seen the world’s population more than treble from 2 billion to 7 billion in the last hundred years. An Endangered Species Initiative which won’t talk about population is an Emperor wearing no clothes. And it took a 14 year old to point it out.