Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in opposition to Labor's Future Made in Australia Bill 2024. There is nothing wrong with industry policy. The question before the House is whether the policy put forward by the Albanese government is good policy or bad policy, and I stand here today to assert that it is bad public policy. In fact, the Future Made in Australia Bill is a vile ruse. It's trickery, it's deceitful and it will not achieve what Labor purports it to be able to achieve. We always have to remember, when it comes to this Albanese government, not to take them at their word, because that word gets broken time and time again. Don't listen to what they say, but look at what they do. This bill reflects the depth of cynicism to which this government is prepared to go.

Let's take the very phrasing of 'Made in Australia'. This is a cynical misuse of a brand that has been built over decades on the part of Australia. Personally, I spent much of my 20-plus years in business in overseas markets ahead of coming to this place. I know firsthand how men and women of Australia have built the Made in Australia brand in international markets. They have sweated. Many of them have lost their shirt trying to get deals over the line, but what they always had was the pride in Made in Australia. Indeed, there are companies today who are going through the process with government so they can use the label Made in Australia on their own products. We have legislated in this very parliament how that must be done. Despite having that Made in Australia brand built over many years by team Australia—successive governments of all stripes, the private sector, the men and women of this country—the Albanese Labor government has decided to steal that brand for themselves. They are taking that brand from team Australia and giving it to team Labor in this belief that they will con the Australian people. It's a vile ruse. It's trickery. It is deceitful.

People might say, 'Yeah, but what's in the title?' The title goes to the heart, the cynicism of this government. If you look at the detail, you will see the Treasurer entered this parliament to table this law and made very grand comments about how any funding going from the federal government to a sector of the economy or to a project must 'apply to strict policy frameworks'. Gee, that sounds good. Think about that: 'strict policy frameworks'. It sounds even better when you go to what those frameworks are.

The first criteria in the National Interest Framework is:

Australian industry is expected to have a sustained comparative advantage in a net zero global economy …

So, in order for a sector of the economy to be prioritised to get government money, it has to have a sustained comparative advantage. That is criteria No. 1. It sounds good. Anyone who has studied economics understands that comparative advantage is one of those foundational principles. It's David Ricardo stuff from the early 1800s. So that's great—tick. Sounds good.

What has this government done? The first project it announces under this scheme is for $1 billion to manufacture solar panels. Think about that. Is there a problem with using solar energy? No. Is there a problem with solar panels? No. But, if this government were true to what its framework suggests, then it would have to be an area of comparative advantage. Australia does not have a comparative advantage in the manufacture of solar panels.

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