Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, this is another historic day in this building, with the Albanese Labor government proudly introducing its Future Made in Australia legislation into the parliament. I'm very proud as an Australian and even prouder as a Tasmanian, because I know Australia has a reputation for inventing and producing world-class products in all sectors of our economy, and we are blessed with the resources, intelligence and ingenuity to build everything we need for our future. We can be self-sustaining with everything we need, and we can make it right here in Australia. Australia has leading industries, world-class resources and the smartest workers on the planet.

Put simply, A Future Made in Australia is about seizing the opportunities of the move to renewable energy while becoming a country that makes more things in its own backyard. This is a significant commitment, and I thank the Minister for Industry and science, the Hon. Ed Husic, for the work he and the department have put into the nation-building policy. During 2022, Minister Husic visited northern Tasmania and witnessed firsthand how Tasmania has continued, for over 100 years, making things in my home state. We visited Waverley Woollen Mills and were both inspired by Tasmanian workers making world's-best products from Tasmanian wool at the oldest working mill in the country. If we can replicate this type of achievement, hard work and resilience across the rest of the country by making more things right here, we will be an even stronger and better country for it and we certainly will have a stronger economy.

We can no longer rely on the rest of the world for the products that we need when we have the capacity to make them right here. The Future Made in Australia fund is a $22.7 billion funding commitment that, over the next 10 years, will be put into businesses considered critical for the net-zero transition, as well as sectors that boost the national economic resilience and security. This is a plan for Australia's future, a plan for economic security. We never saw anything like this plan from the former government over their decade in government. For businesses to benefit from the policy, they will need to adhere to five community benefit principles, including secure and well-paying jobs, social goals and skill development. I'm immensely proud of this policy. Australia has everything we need to meet our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and become a renewable energy superpower. We're backing Australian inventors, our innovators and our manufacturers to build the next generation of solar cell batteries and clean energy technologies right here in Australia.

I'd now like to turn to another issue. I'm so proud of our democracy, but to have a democracy and to be here in the Senate we rely on many people. We rely on our clerks to guide us through the process, but it's also the Senate attendants who look after us day in, day out, and I'd like to pay recognition to Wally Warrington, who has been doing that for 15 long years. Who knows how many senators he's seen pass through this place? I am going to last a little bit longer than Wally, but I wanted to put this on record, because I know I speak for every senator in saying that we appreciate the smile when you walk through the door first thing in the morning. The attendants are there to deliver a lectern or a glass of water to you when you need one, but it's just knowing that you have those people that are reliable and are always going to look after our interests. So a big shout-out to Wally. Fifteen years in this place is a long time. All the very best for your future. We all greatly appreciate your contribution to democracy.

Now I want to turn to Tasmania again and to the great Tasmanian JackJumpers. We have two basketballers in the Boomers Olympic team. They played China last night, and it was Jack McVeigh, an outstanding JackJumper who has made basketball what is in Tasmania—a great game last night. (Time expired)

Senate adjourned at 19:50