The Member for Maribyrnong, Bill Shorten, said the plan was particularly important for his electorate of Maribyrnong and Melbourne’s West, for which the manufacturing sector is a significant employer.
Labor’s Plan for Australian Jobs will back Australian firms to win more work at home, support industry to win new business abroad and help small business thrive and grow.
“This policy is our considered response to the challenges facing Australian industry today and into the future,” Mr Shorten said.
“It will help local manufacturers win more work at home from major projects such as mining and infrastructure projects. We will also support local industry to increase exports and win new business overseas, and boost assistance for small businesses to grow.
“Our plan will get more work into local factories, workshops, construction sites and the services sector,” Mr Shorten said.
“We have a strong manufacturing base in Melbourne’s West. In fact, nearly 6,300 people in the Maribyrnong electorate work in manufacturing – that’s almost 11% of all workers living in the electorate.
“That’s thousands of families who need to have a healthy and forward-looking manufacturing sector providing jobs and greater opportunities for the people of Melbourne’s West.
“Creating and supporting jobs is what this Government has done every day since getting elected,” Mr Shorten said.
“Unlike the Opposition, the Gillard Government has real strategies and real policies to help generate business opportunities, create economic growth and boost jobs.”
The Plan will also facilitate better collaboration between businesses and research institutions through a major new network of Industry Innovation Precincts.
Small and medium-sized businesses will be provided with expanded business assistance and better access to finance through measures to further stimulate Australia’s venture capital market.
“This package is all about supporting industry to create the jobs of the future, and I will be working tirelessly to ensure that Maribyrnong and Melbourne’s West share in the benefits,” Mr Shorten said.
ENDS
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Background
A Plan for Australian Jobs has three core elements.
Backing Australian industry to win more work at home
- A new Australian Industry Participation Authority to help businesses build the capabilities and connections to win work and supply contracts on major projects.
- Legislating Australian Industry Participation (AIP) arrangements, requiring major projects worth $500 million or more to implement AIP Plans that outline how local industry will be given opportunities to win work on a commercial basis.
- Requiring projects worth $2 billion or more that apply for concessions under the Enhanced Project By-Law Scheme to embed Australian Industry Opportunity officers within their global supply offices.
- Continued support for the work of Supplier Advocates in connecting local firms to new business opportunities.
- Reforms to the anti-dumping system to provide stronger protection for Australian industry against unfair competition from overseas.
Supporting Australian industry to win new business abroad
- The Government will invest more than $500 million in establishing up to 10 Industry Innovation Precincts to drive business innovation and growth in areas of Australian competitive advantage.
- Precincts will bring firms, research institutions, technology experts and business service providers together to achieve the innovations, connections and scale our businesses need to succeed in the future.
- Each Precinct will facilitate collaboration to improve knowledge and skills, to deploy technology, to create new products and services and to take advantage of business opportunities.
- A new Industry Innovation Network will allow businesses around Australia, including in regional areas, to take part in Precinct activities, gaining access to knowledge, support, services and partnerships regardless of their location.
- The first two Precincts will be a Manufacturing Precinct with locations in South East Melbourne and Adelaide and a Food Precinct headquartered in Melbourne.
Helping Australian small and medium businesses to grow and create new jobs
- A new $350 million round of the Innovation Investment Fund to stimulate private investment in innovative Australian start-up companies.
- Changes to venture capital tax arrangements to improve clarity and certainty for investors and encourage participation by “angel” syndicates.
- A new Growth Opportunities and Leadership Development (GOLD) initiative to provide focused support for SMEs with high‑growth potential.
- Extending the successful Enterprise Connect program of business services for SMEs to more manufacturing firms and to new sectors like professional services, information and communication technologies, and transport and logistics, improving the productivity of businesses in key enabling sectors for the broader economy.
- A new Enterprise Solutions Program to help SMEs develop solutions to public sector needs and become better equipped to win work through public tenders.
