Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Deputy Prime Minister, and I refer to his previous answer. Is the Deputy Prime Minister aware that the document that he was quoting from is not the modelling document? So I ask again: can the Deputy Prime Minister confirm that he signed up to net zero without seeing the Treasury modelling on the impact on regional Australia?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member once again for their question. Throughout the document it talks about the DISER modelling. I imagine that DISER know what they are doing. I suspect they might know more than the honourable member himself. I don't know; maybe he is an expert in linear regression analysis and maybe he can give us a little speech on the Newton-Raphson theory and go through a whole range of his acumen in this area. But I suspect—and I am going way out on a limb here—that DISER knows more than he does. So I'm very encouraged.

Of course we went through it. We diligently went through a full process of making sure that we went into bat for regional Australia. The one thing we were looking for was to make sure there was no legislation like what you're going to bring forward and legislate out the workers in the Hunter Valley and legislate out the workers in Central Queensland and legislate out the jobs from Newcastle and legislate out the towns of Muster Brook and Singleton. It's very important that we—

Honourable members interjecting—

I knew that would get under your skin. I knew that!

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

I hadn't even asked him to resume his seat! Have you finished?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I can go on. I thought he was coming up to say g'day and I didn't want to say g'day to him, so I just took a break for a second.

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

Maybe you can do that outside the House.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take your advice, Mr Speaker. I was looking at this. It says great Australian lithium exports could grow from $1 billion in 2020 to $10 billion by 2050. That's $34 billion a year. That's a good idea, and the Prime Minister and myself—are you coming up this time to say no?

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

The Deputy Prime Minister can resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance: the question goes to the modelling document. It's in two parts, both refer to the modelling document, and the Deputy Prime Minister is not referring to it at any point.

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

The Deputy Prime Minister was asked about his previous answer about that document and a separate modelling document that the Prime Minister said will be released in the next couple of weeks. I've allowed him to talk about the modelling he's seen, but he really needs to come back to the question or wrap up his answer.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not exceptional that you trust competent modelling agencies. It's not exceptional that you think that DISER is competent at their job, that McKinsey is competent at their job, that departmental officials didn't just walk off the street. Unless he's got the expert knowledge, which I presume the member for Watson doesn't have, then he would be better to rely on the people who are experts on it, and those are the people such as DISER.