Anthony Albanese: Australia needs to build its own future

A return to local manufacturing is a necessary investment to protect the jobs for all Australians, says Anthony Albanese.

As consumers, Australians know that goods made overseas aren’t always the best in terms of quality.

Millions of Australians like to support local producers, not just for their superior quality, but also because they employ fellow Australians.

Governments should take the same approach and buy Australian products wherever possible.

And given the recent poor record of overseas-built trams, trains and ferries in NSW, this approach should extend to big-ticket transport purchases.

This week Sydneysiders learned that the popular Inner West light rail service will shut for up to 18 months because of safety concerns over cracks in its trams, which were built overseas. This will leave tens of thousands of city workers and school students in the lurch.

It’s not the only time there have been problems with imports.

The popular Inner West light rail service will shut for up to 18 months.

Back in 2018, the NSW Government bought trains built overseas that were too wide for some of the city’s rail tunnels.

Then the Government bought overseas-made ferries that were too tall to pass safely under bridges on the Parramatta River unless passengers on the top deck are moved below decks.

It’s time for a new approach.

Australians can make trains, trams and ferries. We have workshops in Newcastle, Maryborough, Dandenong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Perth.

Instead of buying trains offshore and accelerating the decline of local industry, we need a government with enough ambition to back in Australian manufacturers.

Last year former Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Australians were “not good’’ at making trains. And after daring the car industry to leave Australia, the current Federal Government has continued to fail to support heavy manufacturing.

Cracking appeared on the fleet of Transdev trams.

This makes no sense. At this point in history, the future for Australian train manufacturing has never been brighter.

Demand for trains and carriages in Australia will explode in coming years. Major public transport projects across our capital cities will drive demand for at least 11,000 new rail cars in the three decades leading up to 2053.

We should build them here.

A Federal Labor Government will create a National Rail Manufacturing Plan to ensure our nation seizes these opportunities in the national interest.

The Plan will be a blueprint for cooperation between governments, businesses and trade unions to optimise the growth of Australia’s rail manufacturing sector.

Two of the new Generation 2 Emerald Class ferries that will replace the iconic Manly ferries. Picture: Transport for NSW

Our goal is that wherever possible, trains and trams should be built in Australia, by Australians using Australian steel and other materials.

Collaboration is critical.

We’ll work directly with states to better co-ordinate tenders, allowing for a steady stream of construction work to sustain and grow the local industry.

This will avoid the situation of buyers ordering more trains than local industry can produce at one time.

We’ll work with industry through a new Rail Industry Council to focus on research and development, ensuring that as Australian suppliers meet the growing demand for trains and carriages, they refine their processes and improve their productivity.

And we will work with skills providers and businesses to ensure more young Australians complete apprenticeships in trades that underpin advanced heavy manufacturing.

A Labor Government will also reappoint a Rail Supplier Advocate — abolished by the Coalition in 2013 — to help small and medium-sized enterprises identify export opportunities and link with government buyers.

The current Federal Government has continued to fail to support heavy manufacturing, says Anthony Albanese.

The Covid pandemic has exposed how important it is that we make things in Australia again.

That is the driving force behind Federal Labor’s Future Built in Australia Plan, which includes the National Rail Manufacturing Plan as one of its key components.

Unlocking the potential of Australian rail manufacturing will create jobs for Australians, particularly in regional Australia.

The career opportunities go beyond engineering, construction and trades, stretching into administration, project management human resources, opening up opportunities for Australians from all walks of life.

Tapping this opportunity will require leadership.

But Scott Morrison has provided no leadership for Australian heavy manufacturing.

He is content to stand on the sidelines as Australian businesses and workers miss out on opportunities and those who rely upon Light Rail in Sydney miss out on their commute.

When governments compare the cost of buying Australian goods and overseas products, they must always aim to achieve value for money for taxpayers.

But when making these judgements, governments must also consider the full equation, factoring in the value of jobs and economic activity generated by local manufacturing.

Buying the cheapest foreign product available produces no local jobs in Australia and has proven itself to be more expensive on almost every occasion.

And by eroding our local skills base, it degrades our ability to make things in this country.

We can do much better. And Federal Labor has a plan to do just that.

Anthony Albanese is the Leader of the Australian Labor Party