Mr LAURIE FERGUSON (Werriwa) (21:02): I congratulate the members for Cunningham and— Mr Briggs interjecting— Mr LAURIE FERGUSON: I beg your pardon? Mr Briggs: I thought you were more of a CFMEU man. Mr LAURIE FERGUSON: I congratulate the members for Cunningham and Throsby on bringing this resolution forward. Indisputably, even their worst detractors over there would concede that they have very close associations with industry in the Illawarra. I particularly noted the point made by the member for Cunningham concerning the contrast between what the previous government did in Newcastle and the swift action that has followed the terminations at BlueScope. All we are hearing from the opposition is their opposition to measures within that package. One of the most interesting parts of this debate so far has been the contrast between the contributions of two members on the opposite side. The member for McPherson, who has an industrial relations background, obviously has a close knowledge of industry in her electorate. She gave examples of what is happening with industries in her electorate and saw the problems that this country faces as extremely broad: the Australian dollar and skills, as well as the spending patterns that are apparent in Australia at the moment. In contrast, the opposition's spokesperson, who put on quite a performance at the Press Club recently, came in here with the usual diatribe against various individuals in the government. It was the end of Western civilisation, according to the member for Indi, but she offered no answers whatsoever. As I said, she was at the Press Club and there we saw her call for more collaboration between researchers and industry, simultaneously saying that we should abolish innovation councils, where that collaboration actually happens. We saw her praising greenhouse gas reductions in this country by manufacturers but claiming that manufacturing had no place in the clean energy future. We heard her say that her major contribution to industry in this country would be to abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and get rid of the $4.8 billion industry investment in technology and development. It is interesting to note figures from Dave Oliver from the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union about the realities of what is happening internationally. The size of the global clean energy economy is $6 trillion. Today the opposition spokesperson, as last week at the Press Club, did not come forward with any real initiatives. As I say, her contribution is to abolish initiatives in this area, not to assist industry to develop, expand and go into new areas. I noted Oliver's comment: … we are now facing a wave of hostility to this record investment. Instead of welcoming the opportunity … we hear all kinds of arguments … bemoaning the package. Those comments, made in the Drum on 14 July, are the reality. This motion calls for a diverse industry. It is important to electorates like my own. We still have agriculture and the University of Western Sydney, which has an expanding presence. We have high rates of government employment in the state and, of course, a manufacturing base which is structured around two circumstances: the fact that there are a lot of greenfield sites in Werriwa and the fact that it is in close proximity to important networks. As the member for McPherson pointed out, the situation that we face in this country is complex. It is not simple, as the member for Indi would suggest. We are in a situation where the Australian dollar has made it very difficult for companies to compete. The member who spoke before me talked about what we face with regard to import barriers in other countries. It is preposterous to say that we can actually counter that, but, as I say, the situation with the dollar is not a simple one. It means that some of our imports are cheaper for other parts of our sector. It means that our export products can make enhanced profits. This motion displays the government's determination to make sure that the manufacturing industry is preserved in this country. I congratulate the mover of the motion.