No help to industry -- Democrats

The white paper fails almost totally to mention, let alone address Australia's structural problems, according to the Democrats.

“It started life as an industry statement, but a sandwich shop got in the way and it has become little more than a (welcome) plan to ameliorate the unemployment consequences of the government's failure to develop positive trade and industry policies”, said Senator Sid Spindler, Democrat spokesperson on trade, industry and regional development.

“It is not a coherent strategy to enable Australian industries to boost exports and replace imports, and no amount of scrutiny of the white paper will make it so -- it simply isn't there.

“Nor is there any substantive attempt to support regional Australia in its struggle to survive against the odds of higher costs compared with metropolitan Australia and overseas competitors.

“Yesterday's [May 4] entirely predictable import blow-out of $660 million proves that the current cyclical upturn can't be relied upon to solve our problems. It will just suck in more and more imports, creating jobs overseas”, concluded Spindler.

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