Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How will the Albanese Labor government's Future Made in Australia benefit regional Australia, and what challenges stand in the way?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Paterson for her question. She's another great champion of the regions, who's doing a great job advocating for her community. I know she would have been very excited yesterday to see the girders going up on the M1 Raymond Terrace, a project that we're currently building in her electorate.

We understand that people are under pressure and that some people are doing it really tough. The Australian government's No. 1 priority is delivering cost-of-living relief through tax cuts, energy bill relief and of course pay rises. But at the same time as we are helping people earn more and keep more of what they earn, we are setting up for the jobs of the future, particularly the jobs of the future in our regions, through our Future Made in Australia plan. It's an economic plan for a better future for our regions, making Australia wealthier, more secure and more independent.

More than anywhere in the world, Australia has the opportunity to create those new jobs, those new industries and those new skills, but we of course need a government that is willing to step up to partner with the private sector to build a stronger economy and a future made right here in this country. That is exactly what we're going to do through the development of a low carbon liquid fuel industry here in Australia, helping hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and heavy haulage to reduce their emissions while creating new jobs and opportunities across the country, particularly in our regions. From growers to refineries, this policy will create new income streams and job opportunities across regional Australia.

Right now, as I've said before, much of our feedstock, including 60 per cent of our canola, is exported to Europe for use in biofuels that we then have to buy back. We should not be doing that; we should be actually processing and keeping those jobs here in this country. We know this is a policy that is supported by industry. GrainCorp has said that federal budget funding for low carbon fuels initiatives is:

… playing into its strategy to become a major player in the renewable fuels supply chain.

We know that Bioenergy Australia has said it:

… will create jobs in regional Australia, boost economic growth, bolster economic energy security, and future proof our tourism and transport industries.

We know this policy is supported by our farmers as well. I know the member for Gippsland is very supportive of that as well. The National Farmers Federation said:

The NFF has long supported the development of the Australian bioenergy and Low Carbon Liquid Fuels (LCLF) industries, with Australian agriculture playing an important role in the supply chain …

But we know those opposite are not supporting this policy. You have to say: 'What have you got against regional jobs? Why do you not want to see low-carbon liquid fuels, jobs for our farmers or jobs for people in refineries and processors across the country? What have you got against the regions?'