Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government's commitment to providing reliable, secure and affordable energy as part of our economic recovery plan will support jobs, including in my electorate of Lindsay? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. I commend her for the work she's doing in the manufacturing sector in her electorate of Lindsay, establishing the advanced manufacturing task force, which is critical to businesses in her electorate—businesses like Plustec, which manufactures windows, and SpanSet, which produces safety harnesses in the building construction industry. Like all of us on this side of the House, she understands how important affordable, reliable energy is for Australian manufacturing, Australian workers and Australian households of course. She knows that gas is central, in our energy mix, to the economic recovery, supporting the jobs of 850,000 Australians working in our manufacturing sector in producing critical goods like fertiliser for agriculture; PPE, which is used in so many different industries; and building materials as well of course. And she knows that we're empowering customers in the gas industry, that we're unlocking supply in projects like Narrabri in New South Wales and, of course, investing in critical infrastructure—pipelines and transport of gas.

The member for Lindsay asked about alternative approaches. The members opposite's position on gas is not to have a consistent position. The opposition to gas from many of those opposite is an attack on the livelihoods and wellbeing of so many Australian workers, their families and the businesses that employ them. As the Australian Workers Union has noted—the Australian Workers Union, no less—the 'New South Wales manufacturing sector is unreservedly underpinned by the economics of gas'. 'Unreservedly underpinned'—now that doesn't sound like an industry with no future, as the member for Hindmarsh would have it. You abandon gas; you abandon the jobs of Australian workers.

It's no wonder that the head of the AWU, Daniel Walton, has labelled the member for Hindmarsh's position 'not just morally indefensible, it's strategically moronic'—strategically moronic, Mr Speaker! He goes on to say we 'may as well kiss goodbye to our heavy manufacturing sector' if we follow the advice of the member for Hindmarsh. That's what you get if you rely on the advice of the member for Hindmarsh. Only the Morrison government has a plan for jobs and economic recovery.