Anthony Albanese calls for a revival in manufacturing – in his own words

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese delivered an address from Canberra today where he called for a revival in manufacturing, and greater investment in learning and education, technology, people and infrastructure.

Here are his key messages in his own wrds.

Anthony Albanese on manufacturing:

“We must revitalise high value Australian manufacturing using our clean energy resources.

With our abundant renewable resources, mining industry and industrial capability, we should be at the forefront of the global competition for jobs and industry.

Lower energy costs will deliver investment in energy intensive manufacturing like steel and aluminium and boost regional jobs and economic activity.”

Anthony Albanese on infrastructure and decentralisation:

“We must invest in nation-building infrastructure, including iconic projects like High Speed Rail, and we should be building trains here. Government procurement policy in rail manufacturing has produced superior outcomes to imports and created regional jobs in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

The commonwealth can deliver coordinated procurement across states and territories and the private sector to smooth out production, lower costs and build skills and capability.

An appropriate decentralisation strategy which boosts regional economic development and takes pressure off our capital cities should be at the heart of national economic development.”

Anthony Albanese on R&D:

“Right now Australia is one of the worst countries in the OECD at commercialising scientific research. We must turn this around if we are to climb the technological ladder.

We should promote the study of science and celebrate our achievements, like the Square Kilometre Array Telescope in Murchison, to inspire those looking at future career options.

But instead the government has slashed funding to the CSIRO, the very organisation now testing vaccines for the coronavirus.”

Anthony Albanese on the economy:

“This crisis has exposed a complacency about the underlying health of our economy and society that has deepened over the last seven years of Liberal government.

With 1 million unemployed it’s no time for complacency.

It’s no time for a “snapback” to the Liberal agenda of cutting services, suppressing wages and undermining job security.

This pandemic has shown that Labor’s values of fairness and security and our belief in the power of government to shape change to the advantage of working people are the right ones.

A constrained fiscal position does mean difficult choices. But a reform agenda that doesn’t work for all Australians isn’t one we should pursue.

We need investment in people, in technology, in infrastructure and in the capacity of government to do good, if we are to be better prepared not just for the next crisis but for the challenges of the next decade.

We need an economy that works for people, not the other way around.”

Picture: Twitter.com

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