Minster Carr, who presented himself with some credibility as a strong advocate of the printing industry, was speaking at a Sydney print leaders lunch hosted by Printing Industries, and his offer surprised those present, particularly as he has already set up the means of communication, and as it was in strong contrast to his predecessor Iain Macfarlane.
Minster Carr gave printers the clear message that innovation was the way forward, and stated that print was a bedrock of society, not only as an industry in its own right, but as an enabler providing the pathway for Premier Rudd's knowledge economy, which he said would be impossible to build without a domestic print industry. Carr said he was fully aware of print's place and importance in the domestic manufacturing sector, with its 115,000 workers making up around ten per cent of manufacturing's total workforce.
Carr called on printers to play their part, particularly in the hiring of apprentices, highlighting a huge drop in numbers, down form more than 1000 in 1994 to just over 400 nine years later.
Carr told the assembled printers, who numbered around a hundred, that printing could not stand King Canute like and try and stem the tides of globalisation, but needed to use the changing world to their advantage. This he said would primarily come through their ability to innovate, in methods of production, technology, customer relations. He told printers their future was in their own hands, but that the Federal Government would offer all possible help, including the establishment of Innovation Councils.
Carr said he was establishing a print Working Council, to provide a forum for direct communication between printers and the government, specifically his department. He invited printers large and small to contribute to the dialogue, and send him all their suggestions as to the best way forward for print.
Carr highlighted the impossibility of competing with China on price, and told the room the unwelcome truth that while Australia exported around $4m worth or print a year tio China, it imported 80 times as much, around $335m worth.
Following his speech Carr opened the floor to questions. Biggest cheer of the day came when Currie’s NSW state manager Steve Dunwell asked if the government’s new recognition of the printing industry meant it would henceforth place all government printing work in Australia. Senator Carr however was unable to give the audience the answer it wanted.
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