Parliamentary Reception for 2007 Australian Export Award winners, Hall of Fame Alumni and 2007 National Finalists from the ACT

Acknowledgments and introduction

Thank you for inviting me.

Tonight we honour the winning businesses in the 2007 Australian Export Awards and the national finalists from the ACT. We also warmly acknowledge the multiple award-winning Hall of Fame alumni of Ausenco, Casella Wines, Clough Engineering, Constellation Wines, Rio Tinto Iron Ore and the University of New South Wales. As well as our latest Hall of Fame additions in 2008, Cochlear and BridgeClimb.

And we celebrate the importance of our exporters to the economic health of Australia.

Trade matters

The achievements of these businesses are important, because trade matters.

In the past fifty years, world trade has grown at three times the rate of world output. Trade encourages regional development, as companies like these award winners look to take advantage of new markets. Exports earn about 20 per cent of Australia’s $1.1 trillion Gross Domestic Product – that means jobs. Exporting companies generate local jobs and help build regional infrastructure.

And trade helps keep the cost of living down. If Australia had not opened its markets during the economic reforms of the Hawke/Keating governments, Australians would today be paying $10,000 more for a $30,000 family car. Clothes and shoes would cost 18 per cent more.

But we can only achieve our export potential if we raise Australia’s level of productivity and international competitiveness.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to do just that. It has established a new Ministerial Council on International Trade so that all Australian states can work better together.

Australian Export Awards assist the Government in that process. The Awards are a great example of the importance of not only government to government links, but also of how crucial business to government links are if government is going to help exporters reach their potential.

Export culture

Similarly, by spotlighting international readiness, the Australian Export Awards also help build Australia’s export culture.

Strengthening our export culture has never been more important. Australia developed a promising export culture during the 1980s. But in recent years our export performance has been woeful. Export revenues as a share of GDP increased by only an annual average rate of 5.8 per cent over the six years to 2007––all during a resources boom when world trade export volumes were expanding.

The Rudd Government wants to revive that export determination, to create a climate that enables our businesses to set higher targets and greater confidence about taking on the world.

To follow the example of companies such as:

Cochlear, last year’s Australian Exporter of the Year;
Flight Training Adelaide, national winner of last year’s Education Award;
Russell Mineral Equipment, winner of the 2007 Regional Exporter Award;
and many other businesses represented tonight.

Products showcased here in the Mural Hall speak well of Australia, our enterprise and of what we are capable.

EMDG

One thing that’s great to see is how many of last year’s award winners have been helped in their development phases by the Government.

In 2007, some 48 grants were paid to the winners under the Export Market Development Grant scheme, totalling over $4 million. In the Budget the Government honoured its election promise to reinvigorate the EMDG scheme. $50 million more raises to $190 million the amount available to exporters for expenditures incurred during 2008-09. More generous assessment criteria include raising the maximum grant by $50,000 to $200,000, lowering minimum expenditure thresholds and offering greater access.

Conclusion

We are building the best possible business environment and creating the best possible support services to companies. The Government has commissioned leading businessperson David Mortimer to look at these issues in his review of our export-specific policies and programs. In the end though, it is businesses like yours that drive Australia’s international success.

The companies that participate this year and into next––first at the state or territory level before winning through to the national finals––are following in your footsteps. And in doing so are participating in an icon event that has been raising the profile of Australian industries since 1963.

Here’s to your success.

Thank you.