Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is securing the future of regional Australia by backing our resource industry and creating Australian jobs?

Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the call, Mr Speaker, and it's great to be back. I thank the member for Herbert for his question. And how good is the member for Herbert? What the member for Herbert knows, and I know, is how important the resources sector is to this country. He knows how important the resources sector is for jobs. He knows how important the resources sector is for growth in our economy. Mr Speaker, as you know, I'm an engineer. I do tend to like numbers, and the numbers for the resources sector are incredibly important: $281 billion into the economy—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left! The member for Maribyrnong. The minister will pause for a second. I need to be able to hear the minister. The member for Chifley and others: it's fine to have a joke, but it sort of ends; it doesn't go on uncontrollably. The minister has the call.

Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, the resources sector delivering $281 billion is expected in 2019-20. The Minerals Council estimates that they have contributed $243 billion in royalties over the last 13 years. They are royalties that build schools, hospitals and roads. They are royalties that help deliver things for Australians. It is an incredibly important industry, and the member for Herbert knows it. The member for Herbert knows all about the resources sector and how important it is. They have new investment of $33 billion in 2018-19, and they are on track, as I've said, for $281 billion into the future.

What we know is that 245,000 Australians are employed in the resources sector, and I say to each and every one of them: 'If you get up in the morning, you put on your steel-cap boots, you put on your high-vis shirt, you get your helmet out of your locker and you go to work, regardless of whether you drive the pie truck or you drive the tip truck, you work in the pit or you work in administration, this government is on your side. The member for Herbert is on your side. The Prime Minister is on your side.' We will support the resources sector. We want more growth. We want more jobs. They will deliver, and I am 100 per cent with them.