PM: I'm here with the Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, but I'm actually here with him in his capacity as local Member for the electorate that we are in, and he is doubling up as a media assistant at this stage, so well done to the Minister for Defence.
We're here with the Hofmann family in their family business. I first heard the story of this business at the Future Jobs Forum. This is an Australian manufacturing success story. This is a business involving 8 Hofmann family members across three generations, and they have built a manufacturing business that today employs 600 Australians, that is exporting to around 20 countries overseas, that is working for our mining industry, our defence industries and our clean energy future.
The story of success here is about a family focused on building a business, focused on innovation and the best possible package of service to their clients. What they've been able to do is build a reputation with mining companies for solving problems, for making the equipment that the mining company needs, for ensuring that the equipment works, and if the equipment is having some problems, for fixing those problems and coming up with a better solution. They've taken that know-how around the world, to other nations that are involved in mining, and with that kind of precision and expertise they've been able to make their way, working for Defence and working for our clean energy future.
We've walked today past wind turbines that are being tested, tested on the ground before the cost of putting them at the top of the wind tower is experienced.
So, this is a great story. It's a story of innovation and it's a story of investing in people, because this is a business that drives itself too on training apprentices and retaining its staff. I've walked around today with Stephen Smith and we've met apprentices in training, we've met tradesmen who did their apprenticeship here, we've met people who have worked here for periods as long as 35 years, we've met a man who is working here 9 years past traditional retirement age. This is a business that has invested in its people and its people have shown loyalty to it as a result.
So, we are here today looking at what can be the future of Australian manufacturing. To ensure that we realise that future we've got to make sure that our manufacturing industries get the possible opportunities out of the resources boom.
As we've been talking about for some time now, we have a patchwork economy with the mining industry leaping ahead with more than $400 billion of investment in the pipeline, more than $80 billion this year, but the mining industry's strength is causing us to have a high Australian dollar and that is putting on pressure on other industries like manufacturing.
To work with manufacturing and sustain it today and make sure we have a strong, diverse manufacturing industry for the future, we want Australian manufacturing businesses to do what this business is doing - to partner with resources companies to get the opportunities that will flow as our resources companies build the projects of the future.
So, today I'm pleased to be here announcing that as part of the Buy Australian at Home and Abroadcampaign that we launched as part of the May budget, $1.2 million will be allocated to the industry capability network so that Australian manufacturing can get the best go at being part of four huge projects which are under development now.
And those four projects are: the Woodside project, the Browse Basin project, the LNG project in Western Australia, INPEX in the Northern Territory, BHP Billiton's proposed Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, and the LNG projects in the Gladstone area and I've had the opportunity to look at the project at Curtis Island myself.
What happens through the industry capability network is specialists are embedded with the procurement teams that work for our resources companies so that they can have an eye to putting the resources companies in touch with the right Australian manufacturing business that can meet their needs. It's really about the right hand of our economy working with the left hand; our manufacturing industry knowing what the opportunities are flowing from the spectacular growth in resources.
As Prime Minister, I want to make sure in these days of economic transformation, as we see the resources boom unfold, that the economy is working in the interests of working Australians, that we are truly offering opportunity for all. To do that, we have to sustain our manufacturing sector and a big part of its future will be working for our resources sector, getting the best opportunities that can flow from the huge era of investment in resources.
I want to say thank you very much to the Hofmann family, the generations all here, youngest, middle, oldest, in front of our eyes. Thank you very much for having us here and thank you for everything you do to show what the future of Australian manufacturing can look like.
And we're very happy to take any questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, should companies and unions that are concerned about the future of manufacturing and some, not all, wanting protection measures, come and have a look at this place and is this the example of what you say when you want people to concentrate on innovation?
PM: This is a great example and whilst they would have to be in touch with the Hofmann family and get all of the appropriate permissions, other sections of manufacturing would do well to look at the track record of this place, how it's stayed in the forefront of research and development, how it's met its customers' needs and how it's invested in skills and training every step of the way.
These are the key ingredients that has made this business a success and this business is now drawing from the wealth of the resources industry, and that's what I want to see across Australian manufacturing as our resources giants demand manufactured products that Australian manufacturing is there, able to meet their needs.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) about Anna Bligh coming over here to poach WA workers to take them over to Queensland.
PM: We do have skills shortages in some important parts of our nation, and we need to make sure that we are training Australians. That's why we allocated $3 billion in the budget to build on our already record investments in skills and training. I've said before, and I'm happy to say it again, in this era of the patchwork economy, it is not acceptable to me as Prime Minister that I can meet with mining CEOs who tell me we don't have enough skilled labour and I can talk to my Labor members in States like this one and they can point to an unemployed young person who hasn't got a chance of an apprenticeship. We can do better than that, and our $3 billion investment in skills is part of doing better than that, so we are giving people opportunities to participate in the wealth flowing from the mining boom.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) your reaction to Tony Abbott's comments on pokies, and specifically is that going to make it harder for you to get it through Parliament?
PM: Well, heavens above, Tony Abbott saying no to something, who'd have thought? Look, I'm unsurprised. You know, any proposition that's ever put in the public policy debate Tony Abbott says no.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister-
PM: -Yes, Phil.
JOURNALIST: When you meet the Sri Lankan President today, will you be directly raising human rights concerns with him and do you have any information about the death of a Tamil in immigration detention overnight?
PM: Thank you for those questions.
I will be meeting the President of Sri Lanka later today. Clearly the courteous thing for me to do is to have the discussion with him first, rather than publicly canvass matters which may be raised in that discussion before I have it, but I have been clear about Australia's position in relation to allegations of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. We believe that this is a serious question. The nation of Sri Lanka is going through a process known as the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission process. That process needs to pay regard to the work already done by the UN on human rights issues in Sri Lanka in the final stages of the conflict there.
On the question on the death of a man in Villawood, I have been advised of that death. The circumstances are being investigated so I'm not in a position to give further details.
JOURNALIST: You said that, Prime Minister, that the next Commonwealth (inaudible) go ahead in Sri Lanka, but some countries are threatening to boycott. Do you think that that's going to be a real problem, that there will be a number of countries, and what would Australia's attitude be?
PM: My understanding is that there is no proposal to revisit the hosting of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
JOURNALIST: Do you think there are any problems hosting it there though?
PM: Well, look, my understanding is there is no intention to revisit the question of hosting of the next CHOGM meeting.
On the question of human rights abuses and allegations of those abuses in Sri Lanka, the Government's position is, as I've just outlined, that we have consistently raised our concerns about human rights questions in the end stage of the conflict. These need to be addressed by Sri Lanka through its Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister-
PM: -Yes, Phil.
JOURNALIST: Yesterday you broadly recommended the adoption of the EPG recommendations. Do you specifically endorse the appointment of a Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law?
PM: Our focus at this meeting is on strengthening the Commonwealth and on reform. We know that the Commonwealth's values have spoken loud around our world for a long period of time. Like every organisation, the Commonwealth needs to keep improving and changing and reforming to meet the needs of the modern age. Indeed, the Secretary General has talked about some of these questions like the creation of the website, the online connection process that there now is for Commonwealth countries and for organisations within Commonwealth countries.
So, in this meeting of CHOGM I believe the Commonwealth does need to address strengthening for the future. Leaders will have the opportunity to be informed of all of the findings of the Eminent Persons group and have a robust discussion informed by that work.
JOURNALISTS: (Inaudible)
PM: These discussions will be held in the Leaders meeting. We have said that we believe that there is a need for reform. On the specific proposals of the Eminent Persons group, and they are many in number, they will be the subject of discussions in the room, in the Leaders meeting. It's not my intention to canvass what will be said in that room prior to the meeting being held.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on a lighter note, how is Perth looking ahead of CHOGM?
PM: I think Perth continues to look wonderful ahead of CHOGM. I have been particularly impressed by the flowers everywhere in the city. The city is certainly putting its best face forward. We are waiting for some sunshine and we have been promised some sunshine later in the week by the weather bureau, so what we want now is some clear, beautiful Perth skies as well, so sunshine is coming down on a city that's certainly looks very fresh-faced and welcoming for all of our international guests.
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask a quick question to Stephen Smith if I could?
PM: Sure.
JOURNALIST: Do you have any update on the circumstances surrounding the soldier, sailor's death rather, in India?
MINISTER SMITH: There's no update. ADFIS officers are in India. They're conducting their investigation and given the circumstances it would be inappropriate to comment in advance of that.
The only other point I'd made is that I've seen suggestions in today's media that Indian authorities, in particular Indian police authorities, were not advised of the death on board the ship. Of course a death occurring onboard the ship means it's Australian jurisdiction and a matter for us, but my very strong advice is that all of the usual diplomatic procedures were followed carefully to ensure that Indian authorities both at state and national level were advised of the death in an appropriate time.
JOURNALIST: And how long will the investigation take do you think?
MINSITER SMITH: I'm not proposing to put on a timetable on it. It's a matter entirely for the investigators.
The family released a statement yesterday. They had asked for the details not to be disclosed until they were in position to do it themselves. They've also indicated they'd like their privacy respected in an ongoing way.
We've of course expressed our condolences to them as well as our condolences to his mates on board the ship and generally, but it's inappropriate to either flag any possible outcome or to put a timetable on it. It's important these investigations are done carefully and methodically.
PM: Thank you very much, and I think Phil Coorey is now a little bit anxious that you're not going to give his -
JOURNALIST: -No, that's yours. That's the PMO one.
PM: Oh OK, alright.
MINISTER SMITH: I thought I was acting for you!
JOURNALIST: No, by proxy.
PM: Right.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I ask a question about Hofmann Engineering and the carbon price regime? This place uses an enormous amount of gas, it uses an enormous amount of electricity. Is it one of the 500 (inaudible) polluters that would pay for pollution permits, and what protection would there be for the more than 450 people who are employed by this-
PM: -Well, let's be very clear about our carbon pricing package. The price is paid by the biggest polluters. For our manufacturing industry we have set aside, in addition to the more than $9 billion of assistance in the jobs and competitiveness package, more than an extra billion dollars so that manufacturing can seize a clean energy future, and let's remember, as we've walked around here seeing all of the remarkable things that are made here by Hofmann's, amongst them they are testing wind turbines, part of our clean energy future.
JOURNALISTS: (Inaudible)
JOURNALIST: Is this one of the 500 biggest polluters?
PM: Well, as you know the assessment of those paying the price will be finalised as we move to carbon pricing on 1 July next year. It is about who is generating carbon pollution when the carbon price comes into effect.
Thank you.