COVID exposed 's industrial weakness
's capacity to manufacture essential goods is the lowest in the developed world, a new report shows.
Thereportinto 's sovereign capability, shows how the arrival of COVID-19 exposed manufacture and supply problems caused by almost thirty years of deindustrialisation.
Written and researched by the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (AITI), and commissioned by the new Australian Sovereign Capability Alliance (ASCA), the report confirms concerns highlighted by the pandemic and tensions with .
It shows that is unable to independently meet its own essential needs in health, energy, and infrastructure, defence and space, science, communications and technology and advanced manufacturing.
"It started with mask and sanitizer shortages, inability to manufacture vaccines and then question marks over storage of QR code data," The Alliance's director and spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith said.
"The research we requested reveals an which is too reliant on non-value-added raw material and food exports; is the lowest producer of manufactured goods it consumes and the most dependent on imports in the OECD.
" in 2021 lacks economic complexity with declining education and digital competitiveness, withering manufacturing employment and inadequate investment in science and research and development."
The Australian Sovereign Capability Alliance has called for a dedicated minister, better organisation and a plan of action to reverse the damage to 's capacity to care for its citizens in times of global crisis.
(A proposed plan from ASCA and key quotes from the AITI report follows)
