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

How is the Albanese Labor government supporting Australia's resources and manufacturing industries, Prime Minister? Are there any alternative approaches that would leave people worse off?

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

I thank the member for Paterson for her question. Indeed, when I was in Tomago with the member for Paterson, the member for Hunter and my ministerial colleagues, it was a great day, securing jobs there which are so important for the Hunter region. Indeed, our government's plan for a future made in Australia is about Australian workers making more things here.

I met with the CEO of Rio Tinto just yesterday as well. The global CEO was here, welcoming the work that we have done to secure the future of the aluminium industry here in Australia. We want to make sure that we don't just export our resources and buy back the finished products; we want to make things here. We want to add value here, turning the resources the world needs into products the world wants.

Last night, our production tax credits passed the Senate, opposed by those opposite but supported by the crossbenchers in the Senate, very importantly. They backed jobs and they backed Western Australia, but they also backed our industries in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Our aluminium industry is a great Australian industry. According to the peak body, aluminium is Australia's highest-earning manufacturing export. The industry directly employs more than 20,000 people and it indirectly supports another 55,000. Australia produced 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium in 2022. Those opposite voted against the legislation for production tax credits last night, but they also have a record of opposing the aluminium industry and wanting it sent offshore. The shadow Treasurer, when he was a consultant, delivered a presentation on competition in the mineral sector. It was a full presentation, including a killer slide that read, 'In aluminium we are missing our chance to replace—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will pause.

The Leader of the Opposition is going to pause.

The shadow Treasurer will just give it a rest so I can hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, my point of order goes to relevance. I can see the question invited a 'compare and contrast'. We're not even talking about comments from the shadow Treasurer when he was a member of parliament or a minister in the former government. God knows from when the Prime Minister is referencing or how long ago. It cannot be relevant even to an expansive view of that question.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not sure what document the Prime Minister is reading from, but if he is reading from a document from a presentation he is going to have to make his answer very relevant to what he was asked about—to make sure that it is directly relevant. He has the call.

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

Indeed, I'll certainly do that. I was asked about the industry. This explains the ideological position of those opposite who want manufacturing sent offshore, and they've done that for a long period of time. Here's the quote: 'In aluminium, we are missing our chance to replace uncompetitive processing with bauxite exports.' And, by 'killer slide', I mean 'job killer'. That's what they want. In his case, he said this: 'In aluminium, there are few prospects for growth. We cannot compete in processing. Australian aluminium smelting is uncompetitive on both capital and operating costs.'

Honourable members interjecting—

And I note that he says that's right. They've never supported jobs here and they've never supported— (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the Prime Minister seeking to table a document?

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

Yes. I table the report that shows their support for sending the aluminium industry offshore.