Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. The mining sector generates billions of dollars of economic activity and employs hundreds of thousands of Australians. Can the minister inform the Senate how the Morrison government is securing our economic recovery by supporting jobs and investment in the mining sector, particularly in our home state of Western Australia?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brockman, a fellow Western Australian, for that question. The Morrison government is committed to putting in place the right economic framework to support the creation of jobs, in my home state of Western Australia and, indeed, right across the economy. One of the things that we will do is support big, job-creating projects, particularly in the mining and resources sector. The Morrison government understands the contribution that the mining and resources sector makes—

Senator Abetz interjecting—

That's right, Senator Abetz, just like Joel Fitzgibbon—not just to Western Australia but also to Australia as a whole. We have already seen our economy rebounding back strongly after the COVID-19 induced recession. Unemployment is now down to 5.1 per cent. Underemployment is at its lowest level since 2014. In May, just last month, 115,000 new jobs were created. Eighty-five per cent of those new jobs were full-time jobs and 60 per cent of the 115,000 jobs went to women.

But we also know there's still more work to do. That's why the mining industry is in need of skilled workers. The Morrison government is putting in place the right policy framework so that Australians can get the skills that they require to get into the mining sector. We are doing this in a variety of ways, including through our $1 billion JobTrainer Fund, providing free or low-cost training in areas of labour market need, but also by extending the highly successful boosting apprenticeship commencements wage subsidy.

We as the Morrison government have also committed to helping the mining sector by speeding up approvals for big projects and cutting red and green tape. Don't forget that we are the side of politics that put forward reforms to greenfields agreements that would have given the mining industry certainty in their industry investment. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, a supplementary question?

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Brockman, I'm going to ask you to start again because there was way too much noise for me to hear the question.

Senator Ayres interjecting—

Really, Senator Ayres; I would appreciate some respect for the chair.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline how the government's economic plan, including lower taxes, reducing red and green tape, and boosting skills and training will provide greater certainty for mining investment and job creation?

Senator Ayres interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're wasting time for the opposition, Senator Ayres. I will call Senator Cash when there's silence.

Senator Rennick interjecting—

Senator Rennick, that's not helpful.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those on the other side make fun of jobs. It is a fact that we have record full-time employment in Australia. It is a fact that those on the other side recently voted against our amendments to ensure the definition of 'casual' was properly put but also to put in place a pathway to permanency from casual employment. Those on the other side voted against it.

They also voted against the reforms that we were putting in place on greenfields agreements to ensure greater certainty for the mining sector. They have the audacity to say they are going to visit the great state of Western Australia. Mr Albanese said he is taking his shadow cabinet to the great state of Western Australia, and guess what? They can't support reforms to greenfields agreements. How can you possibly touch down in the great state of Western Australia to stand on a mine site in hi-vis? Guess what? That does not prove that you support the mining industry, in particular when you don't support the cutting, as Minister Morton does, of red and green tape in the mining industry.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, a final supplementary question?

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This has probably been answered in ample amounts in the last couple of minutes, but can the minister advise the Senate of any risks to this important sector that would harm our economic recovery.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When Mr Albanese touches down in Western Australia and the question is put to him, 'Do you support the mining industry and will you support cutting red and green tape in relation to the mining industry, as Premier Mark McGowan does?' will he side with the people of Western Australia, with the Morrison government and with Premier Mark McGowan, or will he look Western Australians in the face and say, 'I do not support you'? Mr Albanese can't just go to Western Australia, stand on a mine site and wear a bit of hi-vis and say he supports Western Australia.

There are policies here in this place, such as on greenfields agreements, that we could bring on tomorrow to show support to Western Australia. There's also the cutting of red and green tape in the mining industry. So I look forward to Mr Albanese going to Western Australia and showing his clear support for the McGowan government and their call supporting the Morrison government for cutting red and green tape in the mining sector.