Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. What actions is the Albanese Labor government taking to ensure we can make more things here in Australia, and is there any opposition to building our future here?

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

I thank very much the member for Makin for the question. Indeed, we have delivered a budget that was focused on two things. The first is helping with the cost of living without adding to inflation. We've seen this week the increase in the minimum wage of 3.75 per cent, so we know that, together with our tax cuts for all 13.6 million taxpayers, we will be able to deliver people earning more and keeping more of what they earn. In addition to that, we have cheaper medicines, the latest element of which was signed yesterday by the health minister with the Pharmacy Guild. In addition to that, the budget focused on: how does economic growth continue in the future? We know that we need to always plan forward and look for where those opportunities are. We do have an opportunity to build our future here in Australia by becoming a renewable energy superpower, by investing in solar, wind and new energy, by investing in manufacturing and critical minerals, by investing in skills, TAFEs and universities, by creating jobs in our suburbs and regions and by making sure that, whilst our resources are being exported—that will continue to be important to us—where we can, we move up the value chain. How do we add value first and create jobs rather than just export the resources, wait for the jobs to be created somewhere else and then pay a higher price when that comes back to us? We need to use our resources to make things here.

Building energy security builds economic security but, importantly, as well it builds our national security. We see the shift to renewable energy as a whole-of-nation opportunity, and it demands a whole-of-economy approach. That's why our production tax incentive for companies that produce things like hydrogen and critical minerals is so important. This is an incentive payment that delivers based upon success. It rewards success. It's a simple and practical idea that has sent those opposite into a tailspin and divided their party.

What is their response to making more things here? The Leader of the Opposition says we can't have manufacturing without nuclear power. It's 'no reactor, no start' from this bloke. That's what his plan is. It's a false choice that he's trying to force on Australia. We know that the CSIRO has said, 'This won't be ready until 2040.' As the member for Makin knows, it was a decade ago that those opposite told the car industry to leave Adelaide and to leave Australia and to take the jobs with them. We support jobs here and a future made here. (Time expired)