Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance of buying Australian Made.

We just recently celebrated Australian Made Week which is a reminder for Aussie shoppers to embrace the incredible quality of locally-made products.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Morrison Government recognises the job-creating power of Australian manufacturers.

Our Government has invested $1.5 billion in the Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

This means our much-loved green and gold logo can not only have a stronger presence on home soil, but also internationally.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the Morrison Government is backing local manufacturers to scale-up and grow. I am experiencing the benefits of this firsthand in my electorate of Bonner.

Bonner is home to some amazing businesses, proudly showcasing Australian Made products.

Local businesses like:

• Make Your Life Easier in Carindale, specialising in premium home organisation products.
• August Skincare in Upper Mt Gravatt manufacturing top quality cosmetics and skincare.
• And Oz Backdrops and Props in Wynnum, a leader in printed and digital backdrops, printing and more.

And this is just a glimpse into the diverse range of Australian Made products we are manufacturing in Bonner.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to talk about my recent visit to Couplemate in Wynnum.

This is a local business championing Australian Made.  Couplemate is based on the Bayside, specialising in the design, manufacture and distribution of caravan and trailer parts.

The last time I visited Steven and his team was late last year. Since then they have done fantastic work re-investing in Australian production.

The businesses dedication to what they do is second to none, resulting in their recent expansion and hiring of four new graduates.

Mr Deputy Speaker, last year was incredibly tough on small businesses.

But the Morrison Government delivered a plan that created jobs, supported our skilled workers and enabled growth.

We now have more Aussies in work than ever before.

Mr Deputy Speaker, since my last visit to Couplemate, their apprentice machinist has now completed his trade and is working full time as a qualified machinist.

Upskilling jobs and our young people has never been more important.

It is essential we are equipping Australians with the skills they need to get a job today and tomorrow.

As part of this year’s Budget, the Morrison Government doubled our commitment to the JobTrainer fund.

We already have around 1,400 apprentices in my electorate of Bonner and these new measures will lead to more opportunities for apprentices and trainees.

To see Aussie grown businesses just like Couplemate go from strength to strength during this time is remarkable.

Mr Speaker, the Morrison Government recognises local businesses are the engine room of our economy.

And to secure our recovery we are making sure they can get on with that they do best.

In an effort to help the national economic recovery, a new ad campaign has been launched to encourage Australians to support Australian Made products by joining the ‘Aussie-made Club.’

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said buying Australian-made products whenever possible was a practical way to back local producers and manufacturers.

“The best way to do this is visit the Australian Made website and literally joint the club,” Mr Vasta said.

“It’s free, you get offers and discounts, and it helps you identify a range of Australian-made products to support.

“When you buy Australian Made, you’re not only helping the local small businesses, but the flow on effect means you’re supporting Australian manufacturers and their supply chains from farmers to designers and more.”

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the new ad campaign reflected the ground-swell of community support for Australian products.

“As a country we’ve rallied together to slow the spread of coronavirus, now we need to pull together to back our local businesses and manufacturers,” Minister Andrews said.

“Australians are the first to put up their hand to help in a crisis and as we look to navigate the economic impacts of coronavirus the simplest thing we can do to help is to buy Australian.”

Australian Made Campaign Limited CEO Ben Lazzaro said the campaign was designed to build on the huge grass-roots movement spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our website is attracting more than 250,000 visitors a month – a 130% increase on normal and our social media audience has grown ten-fold since the beginning of this pandemic,” Mr Lazzaro said.

“Australian brands are also seeing the value in using our logo, with a four-fold increase in applications and a doubling in new licensees.”

The new ad campaign comes after the Morrison Government earlier this year committed $5 million to expand the reach of the Australian Made logo, so our manufacturers could take on new markets around the world.

For more information or to join the Aussie-made club, visit www.australianmade.com.au

The Morrison Government is helping manufacturers and exporters to create more local jobs and take on the world, with an extra $5 million to extend the international reach of the Australian Made logo.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said expanding the reach of the trusted symbol would give local businesses the chance to grow and create new jobs in his electorate.

“The gold kangaroo on a green triangle is synonymous with quality and makes products produced in our own backyard instantly more desirable,” Mr Vasta said.

“The Morrison Government wants to increase the impact of this trusted symbol overseas so our exporters can grow and employ more people here at home.

“This builds on the extensive work our government has done to secure trade deals and open up more opportunities for Australian businesses overseas.”

The $5 million grant will allow the trade mark to be registered and promoted in key export markets like the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.

There will also be an effort to crack down on misuse of the logo by strengthening its legal position in key export markets.

“In these challenging economic times, with global trade being disrupted, our exporters will benefit from this extra support for our national brand,” Mr Vasta said.

The money will be provided over four years to the Australian Made Campaign Limited (AMCL), which administers the logo.

The logo is a registered trade mark in the United States, China, South Korea and Singapore and proceedings are underway to register it in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Australian Made, Australian Grown logo is Australia’s only registered country of origin certification trade mark and can be used on all classes of goods.

It must always be used with one of the following descriptors: Australian Made, Australian Grown, Product of Australia, Australian Seafood or Australian.