Jj ALIST ALIAL
FRERME MINISTER
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF PRIME MINISTER ' S SPEECH TO KANSAI
FEDERATION OF ECONOMIC ORGANISATIONS, OSAKA 3 FEBRUARY
BEGINS: IT IS GOOD TO BE IN THE KANSAI AREA, WHICH HAS ALWAYS HAD A
SPECIAL PLACE IN AUSTRALIAN-JAPANESE RELATIONS.
A CENTURY AGO IT WAS A KANSAI MAN FUSAJIRO KANEMATSU WHO
PIONEERED THE GREAT AUSTRALIA-JAPAN WOOL TRADE, AND IN THE
PROCESS ESTABLISHED ONE OF THE FIRST OF THE FAMOUS JAPANESE
TRADING COMPANIES.
WOOL SUPPLIES TO THE TEXTILE MILLS OF OSAKA AND ITS
NEIGHBOURING CITIES FOR A LONG TIME REPRESENTED THE BIGGEST
ELEMENT OF AUSTRALIA'S TRADE WITH JAPAN. AN WHEN IN THE
FIRST GREAT TRANSFORMATION OF AUSTRALIAN EXPORT TRADE TO JAPAN,
MINERALS CAME TO EXCEED WOOL IN IMPORTANCE, IT WAS THE STEEL
MILLS CF THE KANSAI AREA THAT ABSORBED HUGH QUANTITIES OF
IRON ORE AND COAL.
THE TRADE IS NOT ONE-WAY. AUSTRALIA IMPORTS TWICE AS MUCH
PER CAPITA FROM JAPAN AS THE UNITED STATES, AND FOUR TIMES AS MUCH
AS THE INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES OF EUROPE. A HIGH PROPORTION OF THESE
AUSTRALIAN IMPORTS ARE MANUFACTURED) GOODS FROM YOUR AREA.
AUSTRALIA IS THE FOURTH LARGEST MARKET FOR JAPAN'S AUTOMOBILESBEH4IND
THE UNITED STATES AND SAUDI ARABIA, AND ALMOST AS LARGE
AS THE THIRD, GERMANY.
THE AUSTRALIAN TRADE RELATIONSHIP WITH JAPAN IS AT SOMETHING
OF A CROSS-ROADS. GROWTH PROJECTIONS FOR RAW MATERIALS AND
ENERGY RESOURCES, THE TRADITIONAL SOURCES OF MUCH OF THE STRENGTH
IN AUSTRALIA'S TRADING RELATIONSHIP WITH JAPAN, HAVE BEEN4
SUBSTANTIALLY MODIFIED BECAUSE OF THE COMBINED IMPACT OF
SLOWER JAPANESE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ASSOCIATED ADJ. USTMENTS
IN THE PATTENRS OF JAPANESE DEMAND.
THIS IMPOSES ON AUSTRALIAN EXPORTERS A NEED TO EXPLORE CAREFULLY
NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN THE JAPANESE MARKET. WE HAVE BEGUN TO
IDENTIFY NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN INDUSTRIAL AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES, AND TO REGISTER AUSTRALIAN INTERESTS IN FUTURE
JAPANESE TRADE LIBERALISATION PACKAGES.
I HAVE BEEN PLEASED TO RECEIVE UNDERTAKINGS THAT THE JAPANESE
GOVERNMENT WILL COOPERATE WITH US IN THIS REVITALISATION OF TRADE.
THIS TASK WILL BE THE EASIER IF IT IS INFORMED ON THE
AUSTRALIAN SIDE BY A SOUND APPRECIATION OF TRENDS IN JAPANESE
INDUSTRY GROWTH, AND THE POLICIES WHICH-AFFECT IT.
HERE IN THE HEARTLAND OF JAPANESE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, I
FIND IT PARTICULARLY APT TO REFLECT UPON JAPAN'S INDUSTRIAL
EXPERIENCE AND TO ASK WHY JAPANESE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
HAS PERFORMED. SO STRONGLY IN RECENT-DECADES AND WHETHER WE
CAN LEARN FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.
I HAVE LONG HAD AN INTEREST IN JAPAN'S INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE,
AND ONE SPECIAL FEATURE OF THIS VISIT T0 JAPAN HAS BEEN THE
OPPORTUNITY IT HAS PROVIDED TO CONSIDER THE RELEVANCE OF THIS
TO AUSTRALIA.
THIS HAS SUGGESTED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS DESERVING CLOSE
ATTENTION IN AUSTRALIA BY MYSELF, MY COLLEAGUES IN GOVERNMENT,
AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY.
ANY OUTSIDER LOOKING IN ON JAPAN IS IMPRESSED BY THE DYNAMISM,
COMPETITIVENESS AND LONG TERM FOCUS WHICH SO OBVIOUSLY
CHARACTERISE JAPANESE MANUFACTURING POLICY.
THE COMBINATION OF A DISCIPLINED, HIGHLY SKILLED AND MOTIVATED
WORKFCN'CE, ADAPTABLE AND INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT, AND A SYSTEM OF
INDUST. RIAL RELATIONS WHICH EMPHASISES CONSENSUS AND CO-OPERATION
H4AS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO JAPAN'S SUCCESS IN PENETRATING
WORLD MARKETS AND MAKING IT A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POWER.
AUSTRALIANS HAVE FELT THE IMPACT OF JAPAN'S SUCCESS.
THE REACTION FROM SOME QUARTERS HAS QUITE NATURALLY BEEN
DEFENSIVE. IT HAS ALSO BEEN CRITICAL OF SOME FEATURES OF
THE JAPANESE APPROACH.
BUT THE BENEFITS JAPAN HAS DERIVED FROM INDUSTRIAL GROWTH4
AND THE ADVANTAGES WE HAVE BOTH DERIVED FROM OUR ECONOMIC
PARTNERSHIP IT HAS MADE POSSIBLE ARE INDISPUTABLE.
AN AUSTRALIAN UNDERSTANDING OF JAPANESE MANUFACTURING POLICY,
AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS INTEGRATED WITH EXTERNAL POLICIES,
ESPECIALLY TRADE AND SUPPORTIVE POLICIES, ARE
IMPORTANT TO FURTHER DEVELOPING OUR HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE
ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP.
SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING WOULD ALSO BE TIMELY IN A PERIOD WHEN
AUSTRALIA IS BEGINNING TO CONSOLIDATE ITS ECONOMIC RECOVERY
AND TO REINFORCE ITS PROSPECTS FOR SUSTAINED MEDIUM AND
LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH.
IT IS NOW WIDELY RECOGNISED IN AUSTRALIA TH4AT THERE IS A NEED
TO IMPROVE THE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF AUSTRALIA'S MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRY. INCREASINGLY IT IS RECOGNISED THAT AN EXPANDING, EXPORTORIENTED
MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE SECTOR PROVIDE THE BASIC
MEANS WHEREBY EMPLOYMENT GROWTH AND SATISFYING CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR GROWING POPULATION SPECIALLY FOR
OUR YOUTH WILL BE PROVIDED.
A DEFENSIVE, INWARD-LOOKING, AND STAGNANT MANUFACTURING
SECTOR COULD HOLD BACK THE GROWTH OF THE WHOLE AUSTRALIAN
ECONOMY.
L
THESE REALITIES HAVE RECEIVED PUBLIC RECOGNITION OVER THE LAST
DECADE. THERE IS A QUITE WIDE APPRECIATION WITHIN AUS. RALIA
THAT IT WILL BE NECESSARY GRADUALLY. TO REDUCE AUSTRALIAN
PROTECTION LEVELS IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF A MORE
EFFICIENT, EXPORT-ORIENTED MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
FOR GOVERNME NT THE ISSUE MUST BE HOW TO MAKE REAL PROGRESS
TOWARD THESE INCREASINGLY WIDELY ACCEPTED OBJECTIVES
WITHOUT DISRUPTING THOSE SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY WHICH ARE
ALREADY PERFORMING WELL.
JAPAN'S MANUFACTURING POLICY APPROACH ( UNDERLINED)
FEATURES OF JAPAN'S MANUFACTURING POLICY APPROACH WHICH STRIKE
AN OUTSIDER INCLUDE:
THE EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WITH INTERESTED PARTIES
( INCLUDING GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, UNIONS, ACADEMIA AND THE
MEDIA) TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM CO-ORDINATION IN JAPANESE
IND! 2STRIAL DEVELOPMENT.,
THE WIDESCALE SHARING AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
RELEVANT TO JAPANESE INDUSTRIES ON BOTH MACRO AND
MICRO-ECONOMIC TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS.
THE EXTENSIVE USE BY JAPAN OF PLANNING AND FORECASTING
E. G. THE PA'S ECONOMIC PROJECTIONS, MITI ' S LONG TERM
' VISIONS'I, AND THE LABOR MINISTRY'S LONG-TERM
EMPLOYMENT PLANS. t
THE APPROACH TO STRUCTURALLY DEPRESSED INDUSTRIES INCLUDING
THE EMPHASIS ON PRODUCTIVITY GAINS.#
THE PHASING OUT OF EXCESS CAPACITY IN SOME INDUSTRIES.
REVITALISATION THROUGH THE SELF-RELIANT EFFORT OF INDUSTRIES
THEMSELVES.
THE ROLE OF APPROPRTA'TELY TIMED TRADE LIBERALISATION IN
SPURRING PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH AND THEREFORE IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF EXPORT INDUSTRIES.,
THE PRECISE WAY IN WHICH SOME OF THESE FEATURES OF JAPAN'S
MANUFACTURING POLICY WORK DEPENDS ON THEIR HISTORICAL
AND SOCIAL BACKGROUNDS AND ON LABOUR FORCE AND MANAGERIAL
STRUCTURES THAT CANNOT BE TRANSLATED INTO THE AUSTRALIAN
E NVIR ON MEN T.
SOME OF THESE HOWEVER FIND A PARALLEL IN RECENT AUSTRALIAN
EXPERIENCE, WHILE OTHERS WARRANT CLOSE ATTENTION.
THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS IN AUSTRALIA ( UNDERLINED)
ALREADY IN AUSTRALIA, WITH THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT,
WE HAVE SEEN4 THAT VERY SUBSTANTIAL SHARING OF INFORMATION
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHARED GENERAL PERSPECTIVES ON
POLICY CAN BE ACHIEVED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. THAT PROCESS
IS NOW BEING CARRIED FORWARD BY THE NEW ECONOMIC PLANNING
ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THE SUMMIT WAS A LANDMARK IN RECENT AUSTRALIAN POLITICAL
LISTORY. IT WAS TH4E VISIBLE MANIFESTION OF MY GOVERNMENT'S WISH TO
PUT THE DIVISIVENESS AND CONFLICT OF THE RECENT PAST
BEHIND US AND, IN ITS 3TEAD, TO BUILD A SPIRIT OF NATIONAL
CONSENSUS AND CO-OPERATION.
AT THE SUMMIT, REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, OF. BUSINESS LARGE AND SMALL, OF THE UNIONS AND
OF PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS GATHERED TOGETHER
IN WHAT, IT IS NOW APPARENT, WAS A SUCCESSFUL QUEST FOR A
COMMON NATIONAL PURPOSE.
THROUGH THE SUMMIT WE CREATED A CLIMATE FOR COMMON
UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF AUSTRALIA'S PARTICULAR
ECONOMIC CRISIS IN THE CONTEXT OF A RECESSED INTERNATIONAL
ECONOMY. WE EXPLORED THE POLICY OPTIONS AVAILABLE. AND WE
ENSURED THAT TH4E RELEVANT PARTIES CLEARLY APPRECIATED THE
ROLE EACH W4OULD HAVE TO PLAY IN PULLING AUSTRALIA OUT OF THE
RECESSION.
AT THE SUMMIT, FOLLOWING PRESENTATION AND DEBATE OF
SEVERAL ECONOMIC SCENARIOS, A BROAD MACRO-ECONOMIC STRATEGY
WAS SUPPORTED BY THE PARTICIPATING REPRESENTATIVES OF
BUSINESS. GOVERNMENTS AND UNIONS.
AN AGREEMENT OF THIS KIND HAS NO PRECEDENT IN AUSTRALIA.
IT HAS BEEN CENTRAL TO THE CURBING OF INCOME CLAIMS, RESTRAINT
IN THE LEVEL OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BORROWING, AND TO THE
RESTORATION OF RELATIVE PEACE IN TH4E AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL
RELATIONS SCENE. THESE ARE NO SMALL ACHIEVEMENTS. THEY
EXPLAIN IN PART THE RESURGENCE * OF INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE
IN AUSTRALIA AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST RELIABLE ECONOMIC
PARTNERS.
THE SUMMIT WAS NOT A ONE-OFF EVENT. WE HAVE FOLLOWED UP,
AS I MENTIO1NED EARLIER 1WITH THE ESTABLISH4MENT OF A SMALL,
INDEPENDENT, REPRESENTATIVE ECONOMIC PLANNING ADVISORY
COUNCIL ( EPAC) TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION
WHICH BEGAN AT THE SUMMIT. AS PRIME MINISTER I CHAIR
MEETINGS OF EPAC. EPAC* HAS ALREADY MET SEVERAL TIMES
AND IS EXPANDING THE INFORMATION BASE AVAILABLE FOR
AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC POLICY FORMULATION. THE COUNCIL IS
FOCUSING ON MEDIUM AND LONGER-TERM ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND
IS PUTTING FORWARD POLICY SUGGESTIONS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE
ECONOMIC GROWTH. AS A FORUM FOR CONSULTATION AND
REPRESENTATION IN ECONOMIC MATTERS IT HAS NO PRECENDENT.
IN AUSTRALIA, IT IS ALREADY PROVING ITS WORTH TO
GOVERNMENT AND, PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, IS WIDENING THE
BASE OF COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRUCIAL
ISSUES OF ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT.
WE ARE ALSO SEEKING TO FACILITATE AN ONGOING SPECIFIC
DIALOGUE WITH MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.
THE GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE MECH4ANISMS FOR
THOSE INVOLVED IN INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT TO WORK TOGET1HER
TO DEVELOP EFFICIENT, INTERNATIONALLY. COMPETITIVE. AUSTRALIAN
MANUFACTURING.' OUR PARTICULAR AIM IS TO SECURE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE
SHARED PERSPECTIVES GROUNDED IN A REALISTIC APPRECIATION OF
MARKET CONDITIONS. WE APPLIED SUCH AN APPROACH IN THE STEEL
INDUSTRY PLAN. MY MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE, SENATOR
BUTTON, IS CURRENTLY RESTRUCTURING THE AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING
COUNCIL WITH THIS AIM IN MIND.
THE LONGER PERSPECTIVE ( UNDERLINED)
THERE WOULD BE SUPPORT IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE VIEW THAT, IN
THE PAST, THE ABSENCE OF SOUNDLY-BASED FORWARD PROJECTIONS
OF ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY TRENDS HAD CAUSED INDUSTRY AND
GOVERNMENT TO RESPOND EXCESSIVELY TO SHORT-TERM PRESSURES,
RATHER THAN TO EXPLICIT LONG-TERM GOALS. THE RESULT HAS
BEEN MORE PAINFUL PROCESSES OF ADJUSTMENT, AS WELL AS ADJUSTMENT
FAILURES AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.
I HAVE ALREADY SUGGESTED TO EPAC THAT I SEE REAL ' VALUE IN THE
PREPARATION OF AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT OF TRENDS IN PARTICULAR
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AS WELL AS IN THE WHOLE ECONOMY. SUCH A
STATEMENT MIGHT ANALYSE EMERGING PATTERNS OF ACTIV'ITY, AND RELATE
THOSE PATTERNS TO A CONSISTENT GOVERNMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK.
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT ANALYSIS COULD STAND AS A BENCH-MARK
AGAINST WHICH CORPORATE PLANNERS MIGHT MEASURE THEIR OWN
EXPECTATIONS. ISSUES IN STRUCTURAL ADJU-STMENT ( UNDERLINED)
A FIRM GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO WIDE-RANGING CONSULTATION,
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTHORITATIVE LONGER-TERM DATA
BASE FOR ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY TRENDS, ARE IMPORTANT FOR
THE TYPES. OF CHANGE REQUIRED IN AUSTRALIA'S MANUFACTURING
SECTOR.
WITH MORE FAVOURABLE MACRO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS EMERGING,
AUSTRALIANS CAN MORE CONFIDENTLY ADDRESS THE CHANGES WHICH
WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVEMENTS TOWARDS A MORE COMPETITIVE,
EXPORT-ORIENTED MAN4UFACTURING INDUSTRY.
ON THE BASIS OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS A MEMBER OF THE CRAWFORD
COMMITTEE ON STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, WHICH MET IN AUSTRALIA IN
1978/ 79 I WOULD SAY THAT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THESE HAS BEEN
DEVELOPING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I HAVE ALSO 13EEN IMPRESSED THAT
IN MY OWN RECENT CONTACTS WITH AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS AND UNIONISTS,
MANY OF THEM HAVE DEMONSTRATED A STRONG AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR
A FRESH APPROACH TO AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY ASSISTANCE POLICY. THE IMAGE
OF AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS AND UNIONS BEING IMPLACABLY OPPOSED TO NEW
APPROACHES IS QUITE WRONG.
IN AUSTRALIA THE ASSUMPTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING
INDUSTRY POLICY ARE COM1ING UNDER CLOSER SCRUTINY. ISSUES
COMING INTO FOCUS, SUCH AS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECENTLY
COMPLETED REVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS AND OPERATIONS OF THE
CUASTRALIAN INDUSTRIES ASSISTANCE COMMISSION, INCLUDE:
DEFINITION OF PRECISE GOALS. DETERMINATION4 OF THE TIMING
OF THE PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT. SELECTION OF APPROPRIATE
POLICY INSTRUMENTS. CONSIDERATION OF NECESSARY INSTITUTIONAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS. , AND ATTENTION TO THE EQUITABLE
DISTRIBJTION OF THE SOCIAL COSTS OF STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT.
INDEED, I IAOULr LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT I SEE NO POINT IN
ENCOURAGING CHANGE SIMPLY FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE, AND EVERY
POINT IN ENSURING THAT CHANGE IS GRADUAL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
APPRECIATED -TO THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE EXTENT BY PEOPLE
AFFECTED BY IT.
IN THIS AREA THERE IS MUCH WISDOM IN THE PROVERBIAL INJUNCTION
'' TO HASTEN SLOWLY''. FURTHERMORE, EVEN WHERE CHANGE IS
JUSTIFIED, AND IN THE COMMUNITY'S INTEREST, W4E MUST STILL
ENSURE THAT THOSE A~ T THE FACE OF CHANGE ARE NOT ASKED TO
BEAR ITS COSIS ALONE. IF CHANGE IS TO BE JUSTIFIED IN
TERMS OF THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, THEN THE
COMMUNITY MUST SHOULDER THE BURDEN, AND MECHANISMS MUST BE
DEVELOPED FOR DISTRIBUTING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS EQUITABLY.
BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT AUSTRALIA WILL HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM
POLICIES WHICH HAVE AS THEIR ONLY FOCUS THE RESTRICTION OF
IMPORTS, AND TO INTRODUCE PROGRAMS AIMED TO FACILITATE
STRUCTURAL CHANGE AND DEVELOP STRONG, EFFICIENT AND
COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIES.
WE BELIEVE THERE WILL BE MANY EXAMPLES WHERE THE EMPHASIS ON
PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY COULD SO STRENGTHEN AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY
THAT IMPORTS WOULD BE RESTRICTED MORE EFFECTIVELY BY NEWLY-WON
COMPETITIVENESSP THAT THEY COULD REASON4ABLY BE BY RESTRICTIONS
ON TRADE. OUR RECENT EXPERIENCE SUGGESTS THAT STEEL IS ONE
SUCH EXAMPLE, AND MOTOR VEHICLES MAY BE ANOTHER.
I HAVE FOR A LON~ G TIME BELIEVED THAT COMING TO TERMS WITH
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IS IMPORTANT IF INDUSTRIES ARE TO
MAINTAIN TH4EIR COMPETITIVE EDGE.
I FULLY APPRECIATE THAT MEN AND WOMEN, FACED WITH4 THE
POSSIBILITY OF LOSING JOBS AS A RESULT OF TECHNOLOGICAL
CHANGE AND STRUCTURAL-ADJUSTMENT, LOOK ON IT WITH FEAR AND
CONCERN.
THOSE SAME PEOPLE, MOVED UNDERSTANDABLY BY PERCEPTIONS OF
THEIR OWN IMMEDIATE SELF-INTEREST, MAY DEMAND OF GOVERNMENTS
THAT THEY RESIST CHANGE AND REFRAIN FROM DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE
MECHANISMS FOR ITS ACCOMMODATION. BUT IF THEY DO, THEY
CONDEMN THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN TO LOW4ER RELATIVE
LIVING STANDARDS AND A DIMINISHED FUTURE.
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND CONSEQUENT ADJUSTMENTS ARE
INEVITABLE. NO PEREPARING FOR THEM NOW WILL ONLY MAKE
WORSE THE HURST FELT WHEN IT COMES.
OBVIOUSLY A FLEXIBLE AND SKILLED WORKFORCE WILL BE BETTER
ABLE TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE REAL LESSONS TO BE LEARNT BY AUSTRALIANS
FROM THE FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE JAPANESE APPROACH TO SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT. RATHER THAN LEAVING THESE MATTERS ENTIRELY TO
GOVERNMENT, I SHOULD LIKE TO SEE MANY MORE AUSTRALIAN
EMPLOYERS AND UNIONS TAKING A GREATER INTEREST IN, AND
RESPONSIBILITY FOR, DEVELOPING THE SKILLS OF EMPLOYEES.
BY HELPING TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND RETRAINING, TH4EY SHOULD
BE ABLE TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE INSECURITY AND POTENTIAL
IN4DUSTRIAL PROBLEMS WHICH EMPLOYMENT CHANGES MIGHT BRING.
MY GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED TO ENSURE THE AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION
SYSTEM IS PROPERLY GEARED FOR THE TECHNOLOGICAL AGE. WE
SEE THIS AS BEING ESSENTIAL IF OUR PEOPLE ARE TO REALISE THEIR
FULL POTENTIAL AS INDIVIDUALS, AND IF THE COMMUNIT IS TO
MAXIMISE THE BENEFITS OF ITS HUMAN AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES.
CONCLUSION ( UNDERLINED)
IT WILL BE EVIDENT FROM WHAT I HAVE SAID TODAY THAT, DESPITE
THE DIFFERENT HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC TRADITIONS
IN AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN, THERE IS MUCH IN THE JAPANESE
APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY INDUSTRY POLICY THAT HAS
RELEVANCE TO AUSTRALIA.
IN PARTICULAR, THAT EXPERIENCE DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE REALITY
THAT PROBLEMS OF STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT ARE LIKELY TO BE
EXACERBATED IF THE POSITIVE BENEFIiS FROM SUCH4 ADJUSTMENT
ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE DIRECTLY AFFECTED. I SEE IT
AS IMPORTANT THAT THESE BE MADE EVIDENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN
COMMUNITY AND THAT THERE BE A BROAD NATIONAL AND INDUSTRY-BASED
CONSENSUS IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION OF NEW
TECHNOLOGIES AND POLICIES WHICH MAKE STRUCTURAL CHANGE FEASIBLE
AND ACCEPTABLE.
WITH MR NAKASONE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO,-I DECLARED AUSTRALIA'S
SUPPORT FOR A MORE OPEN MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM. I
RECOGNISE THAT IN THIS CONTEXT AUSTRALIA MUST BE PREPARED
TO ENCOURAGE DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES TO BE COMPETITIVE INTER NATI ONALLY,
AND TO REVIEW AREAS OF HIGH PROTECTION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK
OF THE APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING POLICY I HAVE OUTLINED.
THE TASK WILL NOT BE AN EASY ONE. BUT SUCCESS WOULD MAKE THE
EFFORT WORTHWHILE.