Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

():  The government will not be supporting this motion. We have outlined our program, through the daily program, that was circulated last week.

We've commenced the Future Made in Australia bill; we've made good progress on it and we want to continue to do that. We have listed it at item 1. Of course, we would like to also deal with Defence Service Homes Amendment (Insurance) Bill 2025, after we have completed the Future Made in Australia.

These are the lengths that Peter Dutton's opposition will go to, to not support a future made in Australia. It is quite extraordinary that the opposition are trying to avoid debating today positive legislation—which will be particularly positive in the area of WA—to progress legislation to establish a critical minerals tax incentive. This is the extent that they will go to, to say no.

We do not support rearranging the program; there are no logical arguments to rearrange the program. The Defence Service Homes Amendment (Insurance) Bill 2025 can pass, and will pass, this week with the support of this chamber. There is no reason why it should not be dealt with in accordance with the program that's been circulated.

There is a lot of legislation coming up. We want the Administrative Review Tribunal bill to pass. We want the Oversight Legislation Amendment (Robodebt Royal Commission Response and Other Measures) Bill 2024 to proceed. Remember that little baby of yours, robodebt? We've got the keeping the NBN in public ownership bill. We want that to proceed this week. We've got no shortage of legislation to set up a better future for this country, and the opposition, in the time that's allowed for government business, is now wasting time trying to rearrange the program because they don't want to be embarrassed by the position they've taken on the Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024.

You're embarrassed about your position. You're embarrassed in WA, where there's a lot of interest about getting this bill passed and the support that would be provided for industries. Indeed, the WA Liberal leader, Ms Mettam, has said:

We will always stand up for Western Australia, and we will support this measure. It's something that I will raise with my federal colleagues. We are committed to jobs and industry and new industries in Western Australia and that is my position.

That is not Peter Dutton's position. It's not Senator Cash's position. They don't want new jobs, and they don't want the investment that will come—the new industries in WA—and that is being clearly shown here this morning by their attempt to put it down the list of priorities in the daily program.

We don't agree with that. We don't support that. We want this bill to pass. We think it will mean a very strong future, particularly for industries in critical minerals and in pro-manufacturing that will generate the jobs and industries of the future. We want to back WA, and we want this parliament to send a very strong message about the opportunities that will come from this bill, particularly in WA. I'm astounded that Senator Cash would be part of this stunt to reduce investment and the prioritisation of jobs and industries in WA by playing politics with the Daily Program. The Daily Program is there. It's been clear about our priorities, and the Senate should allow us to get on to government business today and deal with all of the legislation on the program.

The reality is that, if you were serious, we could deal with all of this today, but we know you're not going to allow that, and now you're trying to delay the inevitability of trying to deal with production tax credits. If you were serious about progressing the Defence Service Homes Amendment (Insurance) Bill, you wouldn't be trying to rearrange the program. That's the reality. The actual reality is—