QLD: Halt free trade to boost economy: union

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2009
QLD: Halt free trade to boost economy: union

By Crystal Ja

GOLD COAST, Feb 2 AAP - Australia's free trade agreements should take a back seat to
help local industry survive the global economic crisis, the Australian Workers Union (AWU)
says.

On the eve of federal parliament sitting for the first time in 2009, AWU national secretary
Paul Howes called on the government to implement new measures to save Australian jobs
at risk from the global financial crisis.

As well as calling for payroll tax cuts, he said the government had to rethink its
free trade agreements until the crisis passed.

"I believe in free trade, but I also believe this is an unprecedented crisis and requires
an unprecedented response," Mr Howes told reporters at the AWU National Conference on
the Gold Coast.

"We've never had a situation where we couldn't sell our steel at any price to anyone,
(but) our steel plants are empty, our aluminium plants are empty, we have no customers
for our products.

"We need local content rules for this period of this crisis that gives our manufacturing
industry a boost and fuels the infrastructure that our nation needs."

He said times were tough for Australian workers in a raft of sectors, including manufacturing,
mining and retail, and it didn't make sense for the government to send money overseas.

"Why should Australian taxpayer dollars go towards protecting the jobs of Indian steel
makers or Brazilian aluminium makers?" he asked.

"I strongly believe we can honour our free trade agreements, but also ensure the government
procurement policy is drafted in such a way that Australian workers come first."

He urged the federal government to deliver major regional infrastructure projects immediately.

"The next two years will be two of the toughest years that our organisation has ever
been through," he said.

"We should increase the funding for important infrastructure projects - infrastructure
projects which should be built with Australian-made steel and aluminium."

Mr Howes also pointed the finger at the corporate sector, which he said had delivered
"knee-jerk responses" to the financial crisis, by cutting jobs instead of implementing
innovative policies.

AAP cj/pjo/tnf

KEYWORD: STIMULUS AWU

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.