Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Resources and Water. What does the government's modelling show is the economic impact of a commitment to net zero by 2050 for the resources sector?

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

I thank the honourable member for the question, and can I say to the honourable member, I've seen lots of modelling. That's what my department does. As the minister for resources, that's what you would expect . I've seen modelling from the International Energy Agency that says that demand for Australia's coal will continue to go up until 2030. They expect that it will be off-peak by about 20 per cent in 2050. I've seen modelling that says that our gas exports also continue to grow. I've seen presentations where they continue to talk about critical minerals.

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

The member for Whitlam on a point of order?

Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. I hate to interrupt that long run-off, but it is on relevance. I didn't ask about international modelling. I asked about government modelling.

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

Yes, I understand that, but I'm not in a position to reach a conclusion when the minister says his department shows him lots of modelling. It's a government department. I'm going to listen to the minister.

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

Thank you, Mr Speaker—25 seconds in! Now, my department has also shown me modelling about how we've got a shortfall of workers in the resources sector right now, because it's going so well. The policies of this government continue to ensure that the sector gets stronger. The policies of this government continue to ensure that there are opportunities into the future. The policies of this government ensure that right through the pandemic Australia maintained its reputation, maintained its delivery in terms of logistics and supply chains, maintained contracts into those critical locations like Japan, South Korea and right across South-East Asia.

So we continue to strongly support the sector. There is a range of modelling all over the place about all sorts of things but, in terms of my department and modelling that I have been provided by my department, it is about strengthening the sector; it's about growing opportunities. That is why we're out there committing funds to ensure that the critical minerals sector continues to grow. We know there are growth opportunities around the world for what results from critical minerals. We have an incredible resource in this area in this country, right across the spectrum, whether it's rare earths, lithium or a range of others.

I had a discussion in recent weeks in Queensland with people who are looking to get out there and look at what could potentially be taken from previous coalmines in terms of overburden and extract further critical minerals from what previously were coalmines but are no longer in use. We are looking at every opportunity. We are looking to ensure that we continue to deliver for our country, to act in our national interest, to strengthen our economy, and the modelling I've seen says we will continue to do just that.

Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government's technology-led approach will reduce our emissions while at the same time strengthening the economy? And is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I thank the member for Moncrieff for her question and I acknowledge her role in small business before she came into this place, including advising small businesses. Indeed, she knows from that experience how important technology is to the success of businesses in this great country and to bringing down emissions, as we strengthen our economy. Of course, we're positioning Australia for success by investing in technologies that allow us to bring down emissions and strengthen our economy at the same time.

There is $20 billion in our Technology Investment Roadmap over the coming decade. We're partnering with countries around the world—Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany—to make clean energy technologies more affordable, more reliable and, therefore, more widely used, and that's exactly what's happening in this country right now. This is about technology, not taxes. The member knows that it's actions and outcomes that matter at the end of the day. The runs are on the scoreboard. Emissions are down more than 20 per cent since 2005. One in four houses in Australia has solar on the roof. That's world-beating stuff. More renewables were rolled out in the last year than the entire time when those opposite were in power. The House might be interested to know that the lowest level of renewables in the history of this country was during the Rudd-Gillard government. That's the lowest level of renewables in the history of this country.

We're delivering on Snowy 2.0 and, despite the rubbish the Leader of the Opposition was peddling earlier today, every dam and every tunnel in Snowy 1 was delivered under a coalition government and we're delivering Snowy 2.0. We've seen 10 consecutive quarters of electricity price reductions in the wholesale market, and, in contrast, when those opposite were in power, we saw electricity wholesale prices rising every single quarter. We have a strong track record of bringing down emissions and delivering affordable, reliable power.

There is an alternative approach. It's to talk about grand plans and dreams, but deliver nothing. Those opposite are all concept and no concrete. They don't even have a 2030 target. They have no plan to get to net zero. They never lay out how they're going to do things because we know what they always have in their back pocket is just another tax.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources and Water. BHP, Rio Tinto, Santos, BP and the Minerals Council of Australia all back a commitment to net zero emissions. Does the minister for resources back a commitment to net zero by 2050?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question. I had a text exchange with the head of the Minerals Council just yesterday and I did have a discussion with the head of the Minerals Council in regard to their announcement. I would note that they have an ambition for 2050. They have an ambition. As I said in my previous answer, we are having a collegiate discussion in the Nationals party room. I am absolutely respectful of my colleagues, as I'm respectful of those opposite. We will continue to have that discussion. We will listen respectfully. We of course will consider in detail what is being put forward, as our constituents would expect.

As the minister for resources, I will continue to support the sector. I will continue to do everything I can to get a job into that location, because that is what we are about. I will give you an example while I'm on my feet. I have a contact here from Kenzy Gillespie. He contacted me. I was at Moranbah North mine just a few weeks ago where he works. He says:

… I can assure you as a 22 year old I have been setup for life with this golden opportunity that is at our feet here in the resources sector. Because of this I was able to buy my first house at 19, I went on to hold that for 2.5 years and have recently sold that and am looking for acreage around the Mackay region to start primary producing on my days off …

It couldn't have been done without the resources sector, and there are hundreds of thousands of Australians in exactly the same position, and we will continue to support them.