Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Swan for her question—a former mine worker, before coming to this place, and also the daughter of a nickel miner in Kambalda, in the great state of Western Australia. Australians, particularly Western Australians, know how important the resources sector is to our economy. The sector accounts for our three largest exports. Each of them, coal, iron ore and LNG, are of enormous importance both to Australia and to all the nations that we export them to. Australia has some of the world's richest deposits of critical minerals reserves, but supply chains for critical minerals are more vulnerable than our established resources industries.

Our international allies and like-minded partners are increasingly looking to us in Australia as a reliable, secure and resilient supplier of the critical minerals they need to reach net zero emissions. To this end, we are progressing the critical minerals investment partnership with India. We are working with partners in the Mineral Security Partnership, with Canada, Germany, France, Finland, Japan, Korea, Sweden, the UK and EC, and the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, with Canada, the UK, France, Germany and the US. We've signed bilateral agreements with Japan and the US, and we're actively working with the EU on a strategic partnership. These efforts are all crucial for building new and reliable supply chains.

I'm asked, 'How are these efforts threatened?' In a decision that defies belief and reveals their hypocrisy, those opposite have chosen to abandon their support for the processing of critical minerals in Australia, by failing to support the $1 billion Value-Adding in Resources Fund as part of the National Reconstruction Fund. Those opposite never supported the manufacturing industry in this country. We know they pushed the car industry offshore, and now they are trying to do the same thing with the critical minerals processing industry before it has even gotten off the ground. Less than a year ago, all of the resources ministers in this country, all of the treasurers of this country—we know there were two of each of them—and the Prime Minister of the coalition government were trumpeting their support for the critical minerals industry. In fact, even all the industry ministers at the time—of course, there were two of them—were also exhibiting their support, with former minister for industry the member for Hume saying, 'We are committed to building Australia's capability in critical minerals processing and increasing our contribution to global battery supply chains.' Well, what a difference a mere eight months makes! It's amazing—the member for Hume, the various ministers for resources and the various former treasurers of this country have had a turnaround.

This government supports critical minerals processing and the advanced manufacturing capacity of this country, and we will do so through the National Reconstruction Fund, with a $1 billion Value-Adding in Resources Fund, with or without those opposite. (Time expired)

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