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INDUSTRY POLITICS
It is a privilege to take up my role as Industry Minister during an exciting time in Australian manufacturing.
I believe that Australian manufacturing has a significant opportunity to grow a resilient, globally competitive and vibrant onshore capability.
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I know how vital reliable and affordable energy is to your operations so adding Industry to my ministerial responsibilities of Energy and Emissions Reduction complements the Government’s efforts to support you.
The Government is determined to ensure that the energy needs of both businesses and households are met.
We will do this while also meeting the nation’s emissions reduction targets, without imposing taxes on consumers as the Prime Minister and I have outlined in Australia’s Long Term Emissions Reduction Plan.
As Minister, I look forward to building on the success of my predecessors by continuing to support our manufacturing exports, manufacturing jobs, and manufacturing businesses to grow.
Central to this is our $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy, which is a key part of the Morrison Government’s plan to secure Australia’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our industry-led Strategy concentrates on getting the economic conditions right for businesses and focussing on areas of advantage with our six National Manufacturing Priorities.
By playing to our strengths, strategically investing and harnessing our world-class science and research, Australian manufacturers can compete on value, quality and product differentiation.
While there is still more to do, our plan is already working. ABS Labour Force figures show there are now 80,000 more jobs in manufacturing than there was at the start of the pandemic. For the first time since 2009, there is now a total of 1 million jobs in the sector.
Our gas-fired recovery complements our Modern Manufacturing Strategy.
Gas is vital to the manufacturing sector, providing 42 per cent of its total energy use in 2019-20, according to the latest Australian Energy Statistics.
Gas production also provides critical inputs for plastics, including personal protective equipment, and for manufacturing petrochemicals, using ethane and propane.
It plays an important role in providing food through its use in the production of fertiliser for the agricultural industry.
Gas is a critical source of flexible, reliable electricity generation.
The nation has plentiful reserves of natural gas, but more supply needs to be unlocked or we will face higher prices and disruptions in supply is being seen currently in Europe.
At the same time we are strongly supporting the development of renewable energy. Since 2017 over $35 billion has been invested in the renewable energy sector.
Seven gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity was installed in 2020 alone.
Alongside other on-demand, dispatchable technologies such as pumped hydro and batteries, gas will help Australia to reach its emissions reductions targets, while keeping the lights on and electricity prices low.
As Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction I will continue our strong support of local manufacturers and in particular will work to ensure we can build a stronger economy, create more jobs and take more of our quality products to the world.
A time of opportunity for manufacturing
Hon Angus Taylor MP, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction
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• Manufacturing industry • Full-time role • Bi-monthly deadlines (6 per year) Industry Update is a broad-based B2B magazine with a CAB audited circulation of over 19,000 and readership of more than 76,000. As the editor, you will work closely with the publisher and sales team to help drive the commercial growth and play a key role in developing the editorial strategy for the magazine and website to further strengthen the title's leading position within the marketplace. We are able to provide very fl exible hours. You should already have solid editorial experience and understand how to create lively, engaging content for your readers. You'll also need excellent interpersonal skills to deal with a wide variety of players in various industry sectors. Duties and responsibilities include: • Planning and managing the editorial content of the magazine, website and email newsletter. • Manage editorial staff • Contributing regular articles for social media channels • Attending interstate events from time to time (interstate travel is on hold at current time due to COVID-19) • Contributing ideas in conjunction with the publisher and sales team to help grow the title commercially • Managing editorial enquiries from readers and other industry stakeholders as required • Liaise with the federal industry minister and other politicians of the day. The successful candidate will: • Have strong written and verbal communication skills • Have 7+ years experience in journalism with at least 2 years as an editor or features editor • Experience working in the publishing industry, television and online-editorial departments • An understanding of writing for digital platforms • Sound management and interpersonal skills • A meticulous eye for detail • Strong organisational skills and ability to manage a wide variety of tasks • An ability to work in a team as well as independently • Be able to work under pressure with a proven record of meeting strict deadlines • Be profi cient in industry-standard software and digital technology Knowledge of or previous experience in the manufacturing sector would be an advantage. If you are interested, please contact Scott Filby at Industry Update on 02 9439 1288 or scoott@industryupdate.com.au
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VIDEO PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS • Hosted by national TV icon and news journalist Tim Webster • Filmed in a 6pm nightly news broadcast style • Creating a high level of integrity for clients’ products and services • Average video length of 1 to 2 minutes • Individual client playlists, have all your videos in one place • Embed these videos on your website or any social platform (Facebook, LinkedIn etc) • All magazine advertising includes a QR code that links back to your website Product Video Packs More facts:
Companies must have good video content 76% of businesses with product videos say now - buyers expect it and will just go their sales have increased, while the improved elsewhere if they don’t have something educational quality of the content reduced support interesting and informative to watch. enquiries by 47%1 More importantly it increases sales by 81% One billion hours of video are watched on YouTube (see below). It is a no brainer. every day, with a user’s average viewing session lasting 40 minutes2 Source: 1) https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics-2018/ 2) https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/press/
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Business needs certainty over covid labour rules
Continued from cover
vaccinations, assuming the legal protection would be forthcoming. A national crisis is a time of deep uncertainty, and if everyone stopped and waited for iron clad legal certainties, the country would have ground to a halt.
But now Australian businesses are facing a raft of unfair dismissal claims from workers who refused to get vaccinated, and the assumed protection from government has not been forthcoming.
In August, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told businesses that they “may make a reasonable directive to staff” but must “stay consistent” with existing law. He clarified that the “commonwealth and the states are not making any moves” to make special laws for covid-19 vaccination. “That is not changing,” he said.
Hopefully the existing law will be enough to protect businesses. Indeed, prominent firms like Qantas and SPC have introduced vaccine mandates. But these decisions were legally informed and do not necessarily generalise to other businesses. Ultimately it will come down to case-by-case decisions by the Fair Work Commission.
In September, Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission Lyndall Dean sided with an unvaccinated receptionist in an unfair dismissal case against an aged care facility, likening the termination to “medical apartheid and segregation”. Her position was a minority among the Commissioners on the day, and the age care facility won. Indeed, Commission President Iain Ross made Dean undertake training for her comments, and she will no longer preside over vaccination matters.
Nevertheless, this should have been an open and shut case. Age care facilities – who were compelled by public health orders to require staff vaccinations – are surely on the strongest grounds of anyone.
This is just not good enough for Australia’s businesses. They need clear cut protection; they cannot afford to slug out a deluge of unfair dismissal cases.
Giants like Qantas and SPC have large legal teams and human resources departments. They have capacity to undertake rigorous legal analysis, and to develop detailed policies that buttress their legal position. They have the legal budget to defend themselves against legal challenges if necessary. But all of this is much harder for small and medium sized businesses. Legal disputes could be the death knell for small businesses already struggling with a covid downturn.
All of this legal complexity comes on top of a historically unprecedented weight of rules and restrictions imposed upon business due to covid, what Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group has described as a “hodgepodge of restrictions and the anomalies and complexities,” which often vary at the state level.
On the other hand, Giri Sivaraman, Employment Law Principle of Maurice Blackburn, has told ABC that workers might be able to argue their employer has been negligent should they contract covid-19 on the job. When it comes to covid-19 precautions, it feels like businesses are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.
Businesses have risen to a historic challenge. They stand ready to do what is asked of them. But community obligations must be reciprocal. Existing industrial relations law is failing to provide Australia’s businesses – the backbone of our national living standards – with a fair go.
It’s time to provide businesses with unambiguous clarification on what covid-19 precautions are permissible and required – and then guarantee unambiguous protection.
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Australia has always been the home of manufacturing. Fifty years ago, Australia manufactured everything from washing machines and fridges to cars and steel.
Fast-forward to today, Australia ranks last in manufacturing selfsufficiency among all OECD countries.
Australians consume $565 billion worth of manufactures each year, but we only produce $380 billion, according to research by Jim Stanford at the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work.
In recent years Australia has become more dependent on international manufacturers, undermining our ability to be a self-sufficient country.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how important that is. We can’t pin our hopes on global supply chains.
Australians want us to be a nation that makes things. To do that, we need to build on our strengths. We’re a country that’s abundant in natural resources, which I believe the government should do more to capitalise on.
Australia is the second largest producer of aluminium in the world. We’re one of the handful of countries globally that has bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and aluminium extrusion industries.
Exports from our aluminium industry add around $13 billion to the economy each year. From Gove in the Northern Territory to Smithfield in NSW, aluminium manufacturers across the country have made 15,000 direct jobs and create jobs for another 60,000 families.
Labor believes that this sector should have had a significant place in the government’s 2019 critical minerals strategy.
Of course, we need to invest in innovation. But that needs to be balanced with support for those areas in which we’re already leading.
Australia is currently out of step with the rest of the world and behind the eight ball on the path to a decarbonised future. The World Bank’s Minerals for Climate Action report recognises aluminium as the second most widely used material for decarbonisation.
According to the World Bank: “aluminium is used across a broad range of technologies, making it less susceptible to changes in technology deployment, and it has the highest absolute levels of demand from any of the minerals in this analysis”.
We have resources that will be in massive demand in the future. We have the natural resources that go into the products that will drive the future.
Now, we need the government commitment to match. A Labor Government would deliver on that commitment.
Ed Husic is the Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation and Federal Member for Chifley.
Manufacturing will power recovery. But we’re missing an obvious element.
TDK Recognizes Digi-Key Electronics with Best Global Performance Award for FY2021
THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minnesota, USA – Digi-Key Electronics, which offers the world’s largest selection of electronic components in stock for immediate shipment, was recognized with an award for Best Global Performance for 2021 by TDK, which offers a wide variety of passive products including capacitors, inductors, RF components and more.
TDK’s broad portfolio of products is available for immediate shipment globally from Digi-Key.
“We are very proud to earn this best global performance recognition from TDK,” said David Stein, vice president of global supplier management for DigiKey. “The strength of our relationship has resulted in a great collaboration between TDK and Digi-Key globally, and we appreciate the support the TDK team has given us to achieve this success.”
“It is my pleasure to present this award to Digi-Key for the second time,” said Dietmar Jaeger, head of TDK's Global Distributor Division. “Digi-Key is one of our very close partners and has proven a constant high performance which deserves this recognition. My thanks goes to the whole team at Digi-Key."
For more information, or to order from Digi-Key’s full line of TDK products, please visit Digi-Key’s website.
About TDK
electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive, innovation-driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDKLambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America.
About Digi-Key Electronics
Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is recognized as both the leader and continuous innovator in the high service distribution of electronic components and automation products worldwide. As the original pioneer in this space, Digi-Key provides more than 12.6 million components from over 2,000 quality name-brand manufacturers with an industry-leading breadth and depth of product in stock and available for immediate shipment. Beyond the products that drive technology innovation, DigiKey also supports design engineers and procurement professionals with a wealth of digital solutions and tools to make their
jobs more efficient. Additional information can be found at digikey.com and on
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