Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

A Future Made in Australia is just that. It's a positive vision for the future of this country that will ensure that we make more things here, diversify what we produce and represent a major step forward in making the Australian economy more prosperous and more resilient. This is our government seizing the opportunities that come as part of the global economy and the transition to net zero, a future powered by renewable energy as we make Australia a renewable energy superpower, and facilitating the private sector investment that is required to make Australia a critical part of the global net zero economy.

At the heart of this is our government's determination to set Australians up for a better future. This is the work we are doing every day. That's why a Future Made in Australia is so critical. It ensures that Australia is taking up the opportunities we have to drive the clean economy opportunities, the jobs of the future, as we also tackle the climate crisis that is in front of us. Our government understands how important it is that Australia make the most of the opportunities that are there in this transition, that we make Australia a global leader in renewable energy, and that we take the jobs and the opportunities, the manufacturing and the industries, that are there for us to build and to support.

Our government understands this. We understand this work is critical for now and into the future. But, of course, those opposite just want to say no to this work. The Liberals and the Nationals do not want to build a secure and prosperous future for this country. They have no interest, it seems, in a secure and prosperous economy into the future. They fall back on their negativity and their denial. We saw that in the decade of denial and drift when they were in power. It is not surprising that Australians only need to look across the other side and see the actions of the Leader of the Opposition, the Liberals and the Nationals, who continue to enable the climate denialists in their ranks to call the shots and set a path for Australia that fails to seize the opportunities that are there in front of us. They're failing to take the action we need to tackle the climate crisis, build a stronger and more resilient country, and set us all up for a better future.

The Future Made in Australia legislation includes a range of principles to ensure that our investments are promoting safe, secure, well-paid jobs with good conditions and developing a skilled, inclusive workforce. It's taking a collaborative approach to engaging local communities, including all those communities that will be crucial to our transition to net zero. Those are communities right across our country, in regional areas and metro areas, like mine. It's strengthening Australia's domestic industrial capabilities and our local supply chains. It's demonstrating transparency and compliance with Australia's tax system.

This legislation brings us closer to our vision for a prosperous future for all Australians, helping us secure our country's place in the shifting global economic and strategic landscape. We see it across the world. We see it in the United States, where the drive to invest in renewables has been huge. There are opportunities for our country in this. We do not have to let it be that other countries benefit from this transition and that we miss out, as has happened in the past. This is our opportunity to benefit from this massive global transition. We as a country have been delivered an incredible set of cards that will make us the beneficiary of this global net zero transition if we do the work right and take up the opportunity, which is what this government is doing.

What we see from those opposite is negativity, saying 'no' again. What they're really saying to Australians and the communities who want to see this action, who want to see us build a stronger and cleaner future, is that they don't care about your future. They are saying that they are not interested in the clean, green jobs of the future. The coalition does not want to see our country and our communities put in the best possible position to embrace the opportunities that will come from Australia being a renewable energy superpower. It seems they do not want to make more things here in Australia. They don't want to help make Australia's economy more resilient and secure now and into the future. Those opposite seem to be more focused on prosecuting their niche clauses and climate denialism. And, of course, we have those opposite continuing to push a nuclear frolic, which is the most expensive of all the options in front of our country in terms of the transition to net zero, with technology that so far is unproven and with no social licence for that work. This is the new curtain, I guess, that you put up around your climate denialism so that nobody realises it's still just climate denialism. It is not a positive plan for the future of this country. It is not going to secure us the industries, jobs and manufacturing of the future. Once again, those opposite demonstrate a complete lack of interest in doing the work that you would expect of an opposition that is saying to the Australian people, 'We are ready to govern and doing the work to set our country up for the future.'

This bill will unlock private investment in future industries and bring new jobs and opportunities to communities across the country. It's about maximising the economic and industrial benefits of the global transformation to net zero and securing Australia's place in the changing global, economic and strategic landscape. It will help us build a stronger, more diversified and more resilient economy, one powered by renewable energy. It will help us to create more secure, well-paid jobs. It will encourage and facilitate the private sector investment that makes Australia an indispensable part of the global net zero economy. It recognises that our future growth lies at the intersection of our industrial skills and energy bases and it positions us as an investment destination as this work happens across the globe. As I said, it absolutely builds on the natural advantages we have in renewable energy alongside those traditional strengths we have in areas like resources, manufacturing and building new opportunities, including green metals, clean energy technologies and low-carbon liquid fuels.

The bill imposes rigour on government decision-making and it helps give investors the certainty they need to invest and unlock the growth that is possible in our economy. As I've said, this transition is happening around the world, even while those opposite would like to bury their heads in the sand and pretend it's not. This bill allows our country to seize the opportunities for that transition.

We see at the moment that supply chains across the world are under pressure, with increasing fragmentation and global competition. So the new opportunities emerging in clean energy industries are what will shape our economy and the global economy over the next decade and beyond. We are ideally placed to benefit from these global transitions underway due to our comparative advantages, our capabilities and our trade partnerships. We know that the private sector is responding to these opportunities, but there is absolutely also a role for government in creating a positive framework and environment for these investments as the momentum builds towards a net zero economy. We want to ensure that public investment and the private investment it attracts flows to communities in ways that benefit local workers and businesses. This transition will only work if we bring people with us. That is the opportunity, again, for jobs and industries right around the country in regions and in communities like mine where we do develop more skilled and inclusive workforces. Of course, we've been putting the resources into fee-free TAFE to make sure that we are building the skilled workforce of the future that we need to support this. We're working with diverse communities to make sure that what happens in this transition benefits not just not just our big manufacturers, big companies and our broader economy but every Australian.

We know that Australian business is getting on with this transition already. Certainly in my electorate of Jagajaga, I have been very pleased to engage with Leeson, a really innovative local solar company driving new ways of working and investment in solar innovation and industries locally in Heidelberg West and beyond. This is our government supporting that sort of work. Supporting that innovation will mean that the jobs and investments of the future are there for all of us.

We know that those opposite have a track record of failing to support Australian manufacturing. We saw that track record when they told the car industry that they could just pack up and go. Guess what? They packed up and left. I have seen the impact of that in my own community in Heidelberg West, where the manufacturing hub that was there, connected to that industry, has really fallen apart from what it was. We see what happens when governments, like those opposite, make decisions that are not in the interest of Australian manufacturing and Australian jobs. That's what happened when they made those decisions about our car industry and told it to leave. We know what the consequences of those opposite's nuclear frolic will be: climate denialism, a lack of action for a boondoggle, or a mirage of some possible future hugely expensive solution. That seems to be what those opposite are focused on at the moment rather than the positive future that this bill sets up.

I know that people in my community are passionate about making sure that our country is doing all it can to tackle the climate crisis. This bill is about us seizing the economic opportunities that have come alongside doing the work to tackle the climate crisis, setting our country up to be a superpower when it comes to renewable energy, to take the opportunities that are there, and to build the jobs and industries of the future. I commend the bill to the House.

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