Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The political amnesia of those opposite is extraordinary. Talk about picking winners. There was the NAIF, for example. They were the ones who established the NAIF. Then, of course, we had a former member for North Sydney, a former Treasurer, who sacrificed his political career on the altar of destroying the manufacturing industry and the car industry in Australia, with all the supply chains that went, including for people involved in manufacturing in Kilcoy in my electorate. So don't give us lectures, when you handed out huge amounts of money, including hundreds of million of dollars to organisations who had no experience in conservation, the environment or the Great Barrier Reef et cetera. Don't give us lectures about that. Seriously!

We're supporting Australian companies to make sure we invest and grow those companies and build their sovereign capability. We believe in a future made in Australia. Don't believe those opposite. They had nine years to do anything about it. All they did was dole out sports rorts and other types of things like that. We need to create jobs in manufacturing, in clean energy, for a prosperous future in that area, so we're supporting manufacturers in this area. The current global energy transition and industrial transformation are there for all to see, except those opposite don't want to look. They are delivering high-skilled, high-wages secure jobs.

We launched our first national battery strategy to support a Future Made in Australia and to make more from what we mine here in Australia. Global demand for batteries is said to quadruple by 2030 as the world transitions to net zero. A key election commitment, the National Battery Strategy, sets Australian industry up for success, and those opposite don't want to know about it. It will harness our world-leading expertise and build a battery manufacturing industry here in Australia, creating good, secure, well-paid jobs. We expect this will create more than 60,000 new high-skilled, high-paid jobs in the suburbs and regions by 2030.

The objectives of the strategy are to create greater wealth for Australians by manufacturing batteries onshore, help transition to 82 per cent renewables and secure our place in the global battery supply chain. We will focus on high-value factory products, manufacturing energy storage systems for renewable grids, providing battery-active materials et cetera. The strategy outlines how we will drive innovation and scale up manufacturing in battery pack assembly, cells and recycling.

In May this year, I visited the Queensland University of Technology advanced battery facility pilot plant and the Queensland Energy Storage Technology Hub at Banyo in Brisbane when Minister Husic recently launched the battery strategy. There are some existing industry-linked energy storage research projects and a terrific demonstration of our ability to manufacture batteries and innovate in South-East Queensland. Minister, I'm keen to learn about how we can have an ABIC, a battery centre in my electorate in Swanbank where QUT wants to go. I would much rather have a battery centre than a nuclear power plant, as the Liberals will propose. My question is: how can entities like QUT participate in the National Battery Strategy and what can the government to do the support good projects like this in my electorate? Those opposite, I would prophesise, if they came to power—and God help the country if they ever do—would have a road-to-Damascus conversion experience to support PsiQuantum. They support the idea of quantum computing, so I don't know what those Queensland LNP members have against Brisbane and South-East Queensland.

PsiQuantum is a world-leading quantum computing company. It's based in Silicon Valley and has a $3.2 billion US value. Two of the four founders are alumni of University of Queensland, where I went to university—but I studied law, not quantum computing. What do those opposite have against Queensland? PsiQuantum will create 400 high-skill local jobs, help investment in our local companies and help open up new digital and advanced technical supply chain opportunities. They will provide support here for internships, opportunities to fund PHC positions for our nation's scientists. A dedicated climate research centre will be established in Brisbane as part of this investment to identify quantum applications in the climate sector. Springfield City Group and other Springfield based businesses in my electorate are keen to establish a quantum education centre within Springfield's the Knowledge precinct with the support of Albanese Labor government. Minister, what can we do to get that centre here in my electorate and how can we support a Queensland based PSI Quantum education centre in Springfield in my electorate?

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