Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move the motion relating to Future Made in Australia in the terms in which it appears on the Notice Paper:

That this House:

(1) commends the Government's Future Made in Australia plan that is securing Australia's position in the changing global economy;

(2) notes the Government is maximising the opportunities of the net zero transformation by:

(a) providing $168.1 million to better prioritise approval decisions for renewable energy projects of national significance and support faster decisions on environment, cultural heritage and planning approvals;

(b) investing $3.2 billion over the next decade through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to support the commercialisation of technologies that are critical to net zero, including through a new $1.7 billion Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund;

(c) investing an estimated $8 billion over the decade in production incentives for renewable hydrogen, supporting new export and manufacturing opportunities;

(d) investing an estimated $7 billion over 11 years in production tax incentives to support downstream refining and processing of Australia's 31 critical minerals;

(e) committing $1.5 billion to manufacturing clean energy technologies, including the $1 billion Solar Sunshot and $523.2 million Battery Breakthrough, and launching the National Battery Strategy; and

(f) undertaking a strategic examination of Australia's research and development system, and investing $38.2 million in a range of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) programs to increase diversity in STEM; and

(3) calls on the Opposition to support Australia's manufacturing future and the creation of more secure, well-paid jobs.

Labor believes in a future made in Australia. It has become clear over the past few weeks that the Liberals and Nationals do not. A future made in Australia will boost productivity, create secure jobs and build our future prosperity amid global energy transition and industrial transformation. The Liberals' future of manufacturing puts all that at risk.

Unlike the Liberals, Labor acknowledges and understands the crucial role of manufacturing technology and innovation in delivering this ambition. We don't just turn up to photo opportunities in high-vis like the Liberals do; we actually back industry and workers with good policy, funding and a vision. Our vision for manufacturing in Australia involves renewable energy, critical minerals, onshore processing and helping the world decarbonise. To that end, in the budget we have boosted the Australian Renewable Energy Agency with a $5.1 billion investment. This includes $1.7 billion for the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, which aims to unlock private capital for new industries such as green metals and low-carbon liquid fuels. Additionally, $1.5 billion is dedicated to kickstarting domestic manufacturing in solar and battery industries, ensuring that Australia not only consumes but produces key renewable energy technologies.

To do all this, we need to ensure that we have a skilled workforce. We're investing $91 million to turbocharge training and apprenticeships in the clean energy sector, because, without a local workforce, we will not meet our potential. Our investments in a future made in Australia aim to secure Australia's energy future and enhance our international competitiveness. By investing strategically in renewable energy technologies and infrastructure, we are positioning Australia as a global leader in the clean energy sector.

To decarbonise the world, we'll also need green hydrogen for energy intensive industries. To that end, we are building on the $2 billion Hydrogen Headstart program by establishing a new hydrogen production tax incentive. This manufacturing tax incentive will provide a $2-per-kilogram rebate for each kilogram of renewable hydrogen produced. These incentives will drive innovation and investment, making Australia a leader in green hydrogen production and export. Under Labor, in two years, thousands of new jobs have been created. We are seeing more renewable energy in our grid, and we are well on the way to becoming the renewable energy superpower that we have the potential to be. Our nation is rich in critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, which are essential for producing batteries, electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies.

Unlike those opposite, we don't just want to dig up things out of the ground and shift them offshore. We want to make things here. We want to make batteries here. We want to make solar panels here. While the Liberals and Nationals ridicule our ambition, we back our workers and our ingenuity to make it happen. Australia can supply the world with solar panels. We invented the technology, and we have all the minerals we need to make them. The same goes for batteries. Global demand for batteries is set to quadruple by 2030 as the world transitions to net zero. On batteries, we will focus on high-value battery products in Australia's area of competitive advantage, including manufacturing energy storage systems for renewable grids, providing battery-active materials to the world and supplying batteries to our transport manufacturing industry, including heavy vehicle manufacturing.

Our vision is clear: a reliable and renewable future made in Australia. We believe in our ingenuity and our workforce to seize these immense economic opportunities. Contrast Labor's vision for a future made in Australia—anchored in renewable energy, batteries, solar and green hydrogen—to the backwards, denialist position of the Liberals and Nationals. Let's never forget that they were a government that chased manufacturing offshore. They dared our auto industry to leave, and then they were shocked when it did. They are the parties that ridiculed rail workers in New South Wales and shipbuilders in South Australia. They talked them down and said that things couldn't be made here. With their record as it is, is it any surprise that they oppose A Future Made in Australia? They will line up here with every excuse under the sun to oppose our plan to build more things here.

With A Future Made in Australia, the choice is very clear. Labor wants to harness our resources and expertise to build a sustainable and prosperous future for all Australian, and the Liberals will just oppose it. We back our workers to transform and grow our economy, and it's only a Labor government that can achieve it.

See this speech in context