Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

We'll get to that. I'll get to that—thank you.

Labor's divided cabinet continues to send mixed messages to the industry. Some ministers are calling for the end of the coal and gas sector, and others are heralding its lengthy future. Why would companies invest with this unstable government? This unstable government's position is making our international partners very nervous. Japan recently expressed serious concerns to the Prime Minister regarding supply. It seems that these concerns have fallen on deaf ears.

The mining sector directly employs 286,000 people and indirectly supports over 1.1 million jobs. In 2022, the mining industry paid over $38 billion in salaries to Australian workers. In my electorate, thousands of hardworking men and women go out west to work. Their homes and families are in Mackay and other regional areas in Dawson. Not only is Dawson home to many mining and manufacturing workers but Mackay is a maintenance hub for the mining companies. It's not just the mine workers and their families that rely on their jobs. Small businesses rely on people having those jobs. Our house prices and investments rely on people having those jobs. The city folk need to thank us in rural and regional Australia for keeping their lights on, for keeping their houses warm in winter and cool during summer. We know how important the resource industry is to the economy. Australia exported $112.8 billion worth of coal in 2022, and it's given the Labor government the ability to spruik and take credit for their budget surplus. And yet the Treasurer could not even bring himself to mention mining, coal, gas or the other commodities that we export. He called them 'things' in the budget. So my question to the minister is: Do you see a long future for Australian coal? Will you personally support and assist in the development of new coalmines? (Time expired)

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