Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I refer you to the answers you gave yesterday regarding secret government modelling in a document titled 'Estimated impacts of CFPS and associated coalmine closures', dated October 2020, which details almost 800 job losses in the Hunter Valley alone associated with government policies and the closure of mines. In April this year the now Prime Minister, when visiting the Hunter Valley mining communities, was quoted by the Newcastle Herald under the heading 'Anthony Albanese "guarantees" no jobs will be lost on road to net zero'. Can the minister advise on whether the Prime Minister stands by his guarantees?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question, and I did have the opportunity overnight to follow up some of what he asked yesterday. I'm advised that the closures he talked about were in fact announced under your government. So I do find it somewhat passing strange that you try to make political mileage, as you are doing and as you did yesterday, about a closure that was actually flagged under you. That's probably a fact I should have been aware of, and I'm grateful to my colleagues and to the departments for letting me know that. But these are closures that were flagged under the former coalition government.

Obviously we are working with the New South Wales government—which I note has an emissions reduction target of 50 per cent by 2030, so I look forward to your criticism of them, if that is in fact the way you want to approach this—to ensure that the Hunter and other regions benefit from new jobs and opportunities in clean energy. One of the differences between those on that side of the chamber and those on this side is that we want to look after workers. We're a movement and a party that has workers at our core.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I know it's hard for those who spend so much of their time arguing against pay increases and telling us the sky is going to fall if there's a $1 pay increase and saying we can't afford to give aged-care workers or those on the minimum wage an increase. But those on this side understand that a transition is occurring and that will occur as a consequence of what is happening in global markets as well as what is being committed to I think by both sides of government. The difference between you and us is that we will ensure that there is a transition that is about— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cadell, a first supplementary?

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for that. In the same Newcastle Herald article, when referencing the Prime Minister's guarantee, the Prime Minister is quoted as saying that this wasn't about policies and 'not only can we guarantee it but our modelling guarantees it'. Does the Prime Minister stand by the Labor Party's pre-election modelling? Or does he accept the official government modelling that says Labor's policies in the Hunter will cause 800 job losses?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I remind those opposite that the closures that are referenced were announced under you. So I find it a little interesting, and I think many will, that those opposite—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You really want to have your cake and eat it too, don't you?

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath! Senator Birmingham! Senator McKenzie! There's a running commentary from the left-hand side of the chamber every time the minister speaks. Not only is that disorderly; it's also incredibly loud. And I would ask you to listen in respectful silence..

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Respectful or disrespectful silence! A bit less noise might be helpful—but anyway. There is a transition that is occurring in our economy and globally—

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Transition' means you lose your job!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh! Would you like to speak, Senator Canavan?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You'd get plenty of opportunity to speak if Senator Cash ever sat down, I suppose. Senator Cash might actually give you an opportunity to speak!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left and my right! I have a senator on her feet. Senator Rice?

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, we denied leave for Senator Canavan to rant on about coalmining jobs and destroying the planet in the meantime.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice, it's not—

Honourable senators interjec ting—

Order! Senator Ayres! And Senator McGrath. I'm sorry, there's so much noise in this chamber that I only heard the voices to give Senator Canavan leave. I did not hear anyone say he was denied leave. Senator Cadell, I believe we're up to your second supplementary question.

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the modelling that the Prime Minister relied on to make those false promises of job guarantees to the people of the Hunter the same modelling that the Prime Minister and the government used to promise 97 times before the election that Australians would see a $275 reduction in their power bills? If that is the modelling, how can anyone trust what the government and the Prime Minister say?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd make this point, if you want to talk about truthfulness: those on your side are signed up to the same target as we are for 2050. This is a policy and a political point. You are also signed up to net zero by 2050, remember? I know you want to talk about that a lot in Kooyong and North Sydney—it didn't help.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Answer the question!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, this goes to policy. Meanwhile, Senator Canavan gets up and gives that rant, which shows that it was all fake. You thought you could say one thing in one place and one thing in another. Well, we are really clear: there is a transition that is occurring, a change in the global economy. We either get ahead of it and we help workers and communities thrive in that, or you keep going to them and lying to them, misleading them, about what is happening, because you're signed up to the same policy. You just don't have anything to back it.