Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank all honourable members who have contributed to this debate on the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Legislation Amendment Bill 2022. I particularly thank honourable members from the government. I also do want to thank honourable members from the opposition. I particularly like it when the member for Hinkler contributes, because he reminds all Australians of just how backward-looking the opposition is. He reminds all Australians of why the coalition lost the election when he gives a rant against renewable energy and talks about how renewable energy can't be recycled and about how bad wind turbines are. I always welcome a contribution by the member for Hinkler, in particular, and I'm sure it will be broadcast in electorates throughout the country. Those electorates voted for a climate government—a government that takes action on climate change—whether they voted Labor or Independent. The member for Hinkler is one of our greatest assets, and I always like it when he contributes to the debate.

An honourable member interjecting —

Thanks for your contribution. The establishment of the offshore renewable energy sector will promote regional development, enabling investment in Australia's coastal areas and creating thousands of jobs. One of the great things about offshore wind is it creates a lot of energy and it creates a lot of jobs. The offshore wind turbines need strong maintenance because they work very hard; it's very windy. That means there are ships going out to the wind turbines and that means that ports are re-enlivened.

I was interested to hear the honourable member opposite, the member for Wannon, just say that we need local content. I welcome his contribution after nine years of doing absolutely nothing about local content. Local content is certainly something that I've discussed with state and territory ministers, and we'll be working on that together when we come to detailed licensing arrangements, for his information. If he wants to have a serious conversation about local content, he can have one. But I won't be taking lectures from someone who sat there for nine years and watched manufacturing decline in this country. He was a member of a government which asked the car industry to leave. I was there in the parliament for that. I'm old enough to remember when Joe Hockey was Treasurer—that's how long I've been here—and he got up and he shamed Holden into leaving Australia.

This bill does make some small administrative amendments to the existing Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 to reflect recent machinery-of-government changes, which is very sensible and necessary. It also makes some technical amendments and closes a regulatory gap in the Customs Act 1901 to ensure full coverage of the customs obligations for new renewable energy infrastructure projects offshore. This is all very sensible.

I do note that the opposition has expressed concern about a change which alters the role of NOPSEMA and the role of the minister. I do not accept the points made by the opposition. It is right and proper that the minister of the day, whoever that minister is, be empowered to reflect and represent the interests of the Commonwealth. NOPSEMA is a good regulator, but that is not its job. While it is a Commonwealth entity, it is actually not formally, constitutionally and legally part of the Commonwealth. And the Commonwealth's best interests should be protected by the Commonwealth. Certainly my approach as minister, if such a decision were to be taken by me, would be to consult and seek advice from NOPSEMA and my department in reaching those conclusions. But it is appropriate that the minister of the day, whoever that is, have that power. So I will be opposing the detailed amendment moved by the opposition, and, of course, I'll be opposing the second reading amendment on the basis that it's ridiculous.

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