Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Hansard source

on indulgence—The member for Groom has, in so many ways, eloquently captured the broad elements of his career in this place. A career that served the interests of our nation, the people of Queensland, the primary producers and those workers in the resources sector so well. We can learn so much from his example.

When Ian Macfarlane became the resources minister our country had an LNG export industry which was a curiosity, and we exported less than 100 million tonnes of iron ore a year. This year we will export in excess of 700 million tonnes of iron ore and we will become the world's largest exporter of LNG. LNG is being exported from our east coast, our west coast and our northern coast—all from assets that received, at some point or another, an approval granted, provided, advised, supported and encouraged by the member for Groom.

But in that massive, new, innovative industry the member for Groom, as minister, pursued alternatives. The member for Groom, innovative, thoughtful, courageous and ever pursuing the best options for our country, worked as hard as he could to try and deliver a gas-to-liquids export industry out of Gorgon. We do not now have that liquids export industry, but what we do have is the world's largest carbon geosequestration and the world's most technologically advanced LNG production facility, which, as we speak here today, is generating in excess of 8,000 jobs in the construction of that project and spending in excess of $1 million an hour for eight years to build the world's largest single-point resources project.

Our country has greatly benefited from the contribution of the member for Groom. That benefit will continue to serve our nation for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years to come—and we all thank you for that.

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