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7 August – 20 August 2012
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Save our manufacturers By Mike Hast MORNINGTON boat builder Mal Hart says governments must do more to protect Australian manufacturing. His comments came after a visit to his factory last Wednesday by Opposition leader Tony Abbott and federal MP Bruce Billson, whose electorate stretches from Seaford to Mt Martha. Mr Abbott was at Hart Marine as part of his national anticarbon tax roadshow. The visit was arranged by Mr Billson, who has known Mr Hart for some years, and drew journalists and photographers from the three peninsula papers as well as crews from three TV stations. The Opposition leader fielded questions about border protection, federal treasurer Wayne Swan, the planned east-west freeway link in Melbourne and foreign investment. But he was in Mornington to continue his criticism of the federal government’s carbon price, introduced in July to force big polluters to change the way they do business. Mr Abbott has had great success with his mantra of a “great big new tax on everything�, but the government has failed to sell the message that setting a price on carbon will encourage the creation of renewable sources of energy, reduce energy consumption, and improve energy efficiency. Hart Marine is a world leader in building pilot boats based on a French design. It has built the distinctive wave-cutting boats for Port Phillip Sea Pilots, the Port of Albany in WA and is about to start two for a company involved in the Gorgon gas project. Mr Hart was happy to lend his support to Mr Abbott’s anti-tax roadshow, but conceded the high Australian dollar had made it hard for manufacturers in recent times. “It has made manufacturers become uncompetitive very quickly.� “My concern is that manufacturers in this country need to be looked after,� he told The News from Perth on Monday night. “We don’t need a carbon tax or high payroll tax or the other bits and pieces that affect our competitiveness.� There was not much that could be done about the high dollar, but “we can do something about the carbon tax, mining tax and payroll tax�. Manufacturing was fundamental to Australia remaining one of the great countries of the world, he said. Hart Marine had been successful “because we want the business and we’ve managed to keep costs and overheads down�. He said the company had invested heavily in technology to build pilot boats and would need to construct 10 before getting a return on investment. The company has three on the water, two on its order books and has fielded inquiries from the United States, Argentina and India. “Port Phillip Sea Pilots could have bought their boats overseas, but chose to support Australian business. Now we want the government to do the same,� he said. Mr Hart said the effect of the carbon tax on his business had not yet been quantified. Hart Marine employs 30 people at its Yuilles Rd factory as well as 50-60 indirectly. On dry land: A reporter interviews Mal Hart, Tony Abbott and Bruce Billson at Mr Hart’s boat-building factory in Mornington last week. Picture: Yanni
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