Manufacturing workers and their families would take a big hit if Joe Hockey became Treasurer

21 January 2010

Joe Hockey's announcement that he wanted to slash subsidies to key Australian manufacturing industries would put at risk the security of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers and their families.

The Manufacturing Alliance union leaders, Paul Howes, of The Australian Workers' Union, and Dave Oliver of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, said today that the evidence was clear, the Shadow Treasurer was now making policy decisions on the run, without consulting key stakeholders.

Policy balloon spiked

" Hardly had this policy balloon slipped out of Joe Hockey's mouth on ABC radio we had his senior frontbench colleague, Ian MacFarlane, distanced himself from the idea and spokespeople for key employer groups , such as the Australian Industry Group, and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, questioned the Shadow Treasurer's wisdom," Paul Howes, National Secretary of The Australian Workers' Union said.

" If the Opposition want to be serious players in the development of manufacturing they should take the time to consult properly with all the stakeholders, and come up with a sensible plan which protects the sector, expands jobs and supports new export opportunities especially targeting the Asia-Pacific region."

The Manufacturing Alliance unions have been working with industry and government to look at new incentives to expand our manufacturing base . The Alliance unions sponsored an important and successful tri-partite meeting in Canberra last year to help build a new era of co -operation.

" The Opposition 's policy is to sit back and allow our manufacturing sector to collapse ," Dave Oliver, National Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union said.

Flat earth economics

" Throughout the years Howard years Australia suffered because the Coalition Government never had a plan to support investment in important research and development.

" The Rudd Government has by contrast taken a leading role and already helped secure a future for our auto-industry through strong action and a co-operative approach.

" In an election year we need all political parties to come up with sensible level-headed plans for Australia - but Joe Hockey, at the moment, seems to prefer head-line grabbing, divisive, flat-earth economics," Dave Oliver said.