Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

It's always good to follow Senator Rennick, the Senate's own Julius Sumner Miller, giving us all a version of a science lesson, just like he does at Senate estimates as well. This urgency motion debate is an important one. It's about a particular basin in the Northern Territory, and it's also more broadly about the gas industry and its future in Australia.

I think it's important, at the outset, to put on the record what Labor's position on the gas industry actually is. We hear a lot from people in this chamber and people in the media about what Labor's position allegedly is. They say, 'It's about this and it's about that.'

Senator Seselja interjecting—

So, for the benefit of Senator Seselja and other people—our friends in the Greens, our friends in One Nation, our friends in the LNP—I thought I'd actually enlighten them as to what Labor's policy is. If they'd actually bothered to pay attention and observe Labor's National Conference earlier this year they would know our position on the gas industry was made crystal clear then, and it has been crystal clear ever since. This is the direct quote from Labor's national platform:

Labor recognises and supports the critical role that gas plays in the Australian economy. Labor recognises that gas has an important role to play in achieving Labor's target of net zero emissions by 2050. Labor's policies will support Australian workers in the gas extraction industry, building on Labor's legacy of supporting sufficient and affordable gas supply for Australian industry and consumers. This includes support for new gas projects and associated infrastructure, subject to independent approval processes to ensure legitimate community concerns are heard and addressed.

Pretty simple. Pretty straightforward. Pretty clear. So, for anyone out there who is actually interested in what Labor's position on gas is, I'd encourage you to maybe not worry too much about what the LNP says Labor's policy is, what One Nation says Labor's policy is or what the Greens say Labor's policy is. You know what? It might actually be a good idea to go back to the original source document and look at Labor's platform—and there it is. It is very, very clear.

So what that policy means in practice is that Labor do support the gas industry. We support the jobs in the gas industry. We support the export earnings in the gas industry. And we also support strong environmental protections applying to that industry, as we do for any resource or other industry in the Australian economy. Labor does recognise that gas has an ongoing role to play when it comes to firming and peaking electricity, as well as being an important feedstock for manufacturing.

As I say, Labor supports the jobs created by our gas sector—in particular, those 17,000 who are already employed in the industry—and also the role that the industry plays in creating economic growth and export income earnings. Labor will support new gas projects that meet all regulatory requirements and that stack up environmentally and economically. Any new exploration must of course be done safely, with widespread, genuine community consultation. Importantly, consultation must include consultation with traditional owners as a priority to ensure that cultural heritage and the natural environment of country is protected as a matter of importance. We will always assess public spending for gas, or any infrastructure being funded by government, on a case-by-case basis to ensure that Australians are getting value for money and are not being ripped off by this government and its own preoccupations.

Now, the energy debate in this country—and I suspect we'll see a bit more of that this afternoon—is too often dominated by loud voices on the extremes of each side of the argument touting all-or-nothing opinions. Labor do not take that approach. As I've made clear, we support the gas industry and we support our resources industries generally, and the jobs that they create. But, unlike the government, we also acknowledge that climate change is real, that we need to take action to combat it, and that one of the best ways we can do so is to genuinely support the expansion of renewable energy in this country.

Now, to think, as some do, that gas is not going to play a role in our transition to renewables is, quite frankly, unrealistic. We will need reliable energy sources to back up our renewables industry as it grows and until we have the technology for it to power the grid alone. If you talk to anyone who knows anything about energy in this country, renewables—while we want to see them go ahead in leaps and bounds—will require firming, whether it be by gas, by pumped hydro or by batteries, for some time to come. So gas will have an important role in backing up those renewables even as we expand their use. As I say, gas is also important as a feedstock for manufacturing and for the jobs that come with it.

But, of course, we on the Labor side also know that the need for action on climate change is urgent. Every single day we have reminders of that, whether it be what we see in the climate or what we see in expert reports warning us of the dangers if we do not take action on climate change and drastically reduce our emissions. That's why Labor, for some time now, have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. That is the best thing that we as a country can do as to contribute to the global fight against climate change.

I might note that we are not alone in supporting net zero emissions by 2050. In fact, most of the key bodies and companies involved in the gas industry in Australia also support net zero emissions by 2050. The peak body for oil and gas, APPEA, supports net zero emissions by 2050. Santos and Origin, two of the biggest gas producers and exporters in this country, support net zero emissions. Of course it goes beyond the gas industry to pick up the big mining companies, like BHP and Rio Tinto, and the National Farmers Federation, speaking on behalf of real farmers in this country, as opposed to people like the National Party, who pretend they speak for farmers.

It's on this point—net zero emissions and the need for strong action on climate change—that the Morrison government fails time and time again. What its energy policy even is is still a mystery to most of us. It's time the Morrison government made a serious commitment to renewable energy in this country. We are falling further and further behind on energy and climate policy, to a point where, if you speak to gas or mining companies—as I do on a regular basis—they will tell you that they have given up on this government and they're just getting on with it. They've all adopted a target of net zero emissions by 2050, because they know that's the direction the world is taking and they want to be able to compete in that environment. They are leaving this government in the shade, while it continues with its ideological preoccupations and its own internal divisions on matters like climate change. These companies—whether they be in the oil and gas industry, in the mining industry, in agriculture or in many other extractive industries—are getting on with the job, are moving ahead and recognise the need for action on climate change, including a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Industry can see that this is the logical and rational thing to do. It's just a shame that we don't have a government in Australia who can do so as well.

Australia is perfectly poised to take advantage of the opportunities in renewables, both domestically and overseas. We have an abundance of sun, wind, water and critical minerals, and, frankly, we should just start using them properly. Let's look, for instance, at northern Australia. There are critical minerals present in the north which are needed to manufacture batteries, solar panels and wind turbines. There is a massive opportunity in northern Australia not only to mine these minerals but to process them, export them and even create our own advanced manufacturing industry where it's Australia that builds batteries, solar panels and wind turbines, rather than exporting these minerals only to see other countries value-add, create jobs and produce products which we then import. We can do it in Australia. We could do it in Australia if only we had a government that was prepared to pull its head out of the sand, recognise that there are jobs and dollars to be made by tackling climate change, as well as the obvious environmental benefits that come with it, and allow Australians to actually seize those jobs rather than offshoring them to other countries.

Similarly, we are well positioned to develop, use and export hydrogen. Even in my own state of Queensland, places like Townsville and Gladstone are at the forefront nationally of grabbing these opportunities in hydrogen and creating jobs for North Queenslanders and Central Queenslanders. Why does this government not want to see those jobs go into places like North Queensland and Central Queensland? Why does this government want to continue sticking its head in the sand, ignoring the reality of climate change and ignoring the jobs and export opportunities that come with tackling climate change? Why does this government want to see these jobs go offshore to other countries who are recognising these challenges, rather than have them in places like North Queensland and Central Queensland? I know the same can be said about places in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and pretty much every state in the country.

Where is the federal government on these issues? When are we going to have a federal government that takes climate change seriously, that grabs the job opportunities, that has a sensible policy about energy and that recognises that gas will have an ongoing role to play for some time to come and supports the jobs in that industry but at the same time grabs the incredible opportunities we have in solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy? It's not difficult. All it requires is for people to get over their ideological preoccupations.