Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, it's fantastic to be back on my feet again following a short break in proceedings on these bills. We've all had the chance to think more about the bureaucracy that would be created through this new Net Zero Economy Authority. Of course, I'll return to some very obvious questions about this authority and whether or not the government, for example, will rule out giving this authority new powers to streamline or expedite regulatory approvals or financing for transformational green energy projects.

Another issue besides the bureaucratic waste, is the pattern of Labor's meaningless slogan-making. The government is long on rhetoric and short on delivery. We know that funding for renewable energy projects is also expected to come from the newly badged Future Made in Australia. Can we expect similarly meaningless spin that lacks substance there as well? While Labor has gifted $13 billion in taxpayer funded subsidies to big business in the green energy sector so far, what do we have to show for it? The fact is that we're in a cost-of-living crisis and that Labor's policy mix is not making life better for Australians. In fact, most Australians are asking, 'Why is this government not focusing on me?' Labor's focus should be on dealing with high energy costs, high inflation and out-of-control red tape rather than focusing on creating new bureaucracies. Instead, Labor continually fails to address the fundamental realities facing most Australian residents and businesses. With insolvencies at record highs and more businesses going offshore, supporting a small number of big businesses is irresponsible and is a slap in the face for small businesses desperately seeking answers from this government simply in order to survive.

In the second major component of the proposed authority's remit, the Energy Industry Jobs Plan, we find, once again, a union wish-list item being enshrined by their servants at the expense of the taxpayer. Australia's current industrial framework features a well-established safety net that applies, and has applied, for a considerable amount of time to instances of business closure and industry change—especially relating to the closure of coal-fired power stations. We know the AEMC's National Electricity Rules already mandate a minimum of 3½ years notice before coal-fired power stations are able to be closed, giving sufficient for the employees to transition. Furthermore, a national agency to assist regional employees on energy projects also duplicates state based mechanisms to achieve the same outcomes. For example, regional planning initiatives already exist through the New South Wales government's Hunter Regional Plan 2041 and the Victorian government's Latrobe Valley Authority Transition Plan.

The coalition is also of the view that the proposed new authority would undermine the work of existing Regional Development Australia committees, which recognise that different approaches must be tailored for different parts of Australia. A Canberra-centric view simply doesn't work. The proposed Energy Industry Jobs Plan's process overlaps significantly with existing industrial obligations, including consultation, paid leave, union access and enforcement, without dealing with how those overlapping obligations should interact. This bill takes no steps to harmonise features which will cause confusion, uncertainty and disputation at the workplace level that could otherwise be avoided. The pursuit of guaranteeing regional jobs is one of moral conviction, but the meritorious underpinnings of this component are more than overshadowed by the detriment that will flow by handing the unions a stick with which to beat business, promote unrest and ultimately drive union membership.

It's important to note the larger risk in this legislation is not for the large energy corporations like AGL, Origin or Energy Australia but rather the smaller businesses who supply goods and services to a closing power station that may be caught up in this energy industry jobs plan process. While the big corporates have the benefit of teams dedicated to regulation and compliance, these measures will only serve to cause chaos and confusion for the smaller players in the sector. Once again the Albanese Labor government fails to consider the implications for all Australians and small business. Importantly, while the bill will require employers to offer workers retraining opportunities and attempt to match employees with new jobs in the green economy, this is unlikely to benefit older, experienced workers approaching retirement or workers with highly specialised skill sets. Again it is unsurprising to see the Albanese Labor government leaving behind older Australians, a cohort that have contributed so much to our nation but are often forgotten or lose out when policy is designed by those opposite.

The energy industry jobs plan is bought and paid for by the union movement. The union movement want the Net Zero Economy Authority to be legislated because the authority would be able to collect the personal information of employees of coal-fired power stations from financial records through to phone numbers. Indeed this bill does not even require the relevant employees' consent for the information to be passed from their employer onto the Net Zero Economy Authority, and the legally mandated trade union representation is on its board. This bill is not a bill for the regions; nor is it a bill to support the net zero transition or energy sector workers. This is an industrial relations bill that the Labor government are gifting to the union movement. I am pleased to be a member of the coalition which will not be supporting this bill.

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