Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Paterson for her question. Indeed, when I was in Tomago with the member for Paterson, the member for Hunter and my ministerial colleagues, it was a great day, securing jobs there which are so important for the Hunter region. Indeed, our government's plan for a future made in Australia is about Australian workers making more things here.

I met with the CEO of Rio Tinto just yesterday as well. The global CEO was here, welcoming the work that we have done to secure the future of the aluminium industry here in Australia. We want to make sure that we don't just export our resources and buy back the finished products; we want to make things here. We want to add value here, turning the resources the world needs into products the world wants.

Last night, our production tax credits passed the Senate, opposed by those opposite but supported by the crossbenchers in the Senate, very importantly. They backed jobs and they backed Western Australia, but they also backed our industries in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Our aluminium industry is a great Australian industry. According to the peak body, aluminium is Australia's highest-earning manufacturing export. The industry directly employs more than 20,000 people and it indirectly supports another 55,000. Australia produced 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium in 2022. Those opposite voted against the legislation for production tax credits last night, but they also have a record of opposing the aluminium industry and wanting it sent offshore. The shadow Treasurer, when he was a consultant, delivered a presentation on competition in the mineral sector. It was a full presentation, including a killer slide that read, 'In aluminium we are missing our chance to replace—

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