Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Swan for bringing this motion and rise today to speak in support of the Albanese Labor government's vision for a future made in Australia and to highlight one of the most exciting new programs under that agenda, the Battery Breakthrough Initiative. A future made in Australia is about making sure that all Australians thrive in a changing world. It's about seizing the opportunities of the global clean energy transformation rather than letting them pass us by. It's about using the resources, the ingenuity and the skills we have right here at home to create the jobs and industries of the future.

Australia has abundant natural advantages. We have world-class deposits of critical minerals, unmatched renewable energy resources and outstanding research institutions, including, of course, right here in Canberra. Together they form the foundation of future export industries. But to secure these opportunities we need to make smart, strategic investments today. That's exactly what the Albanese government is doing. We are building a more resilient economy—one that ensures us against a changing geopolitical environment and protects us against global shocks.

In last year's budget, we committed nearly $23 billion to our Future Made in Australia agenda, and this investment is already transforming our industrial base. The $500 million Battery Breakthrough Initiative is part of that plan and will enable us to accelerate battery manufacturing here at home. Labor's National Battery Strategy sets a bold vision. By 2035 Australia will be a globally competitive producer of batteries and battery materials, delivering secure supply chains and affordable energy and creating secure, well-paid jobs. And it's backed by significant investment. We've already committed over $20 million for battery innovation, scale-up programs, best practice guidelines and workforce training. This includes support for the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre and the Powering Australia Industry Growth Centre.

The Battery Breakthrough Initiative is one of the largest investments in Australian battery manufacturing capability to date. We're also ensuring this investment delivers on our climate commitments, by backing projects that not only strengthen supply chains but also contribute to emissions reduction. The Battery Breakthrough Initiative will also ensure that public and private investment flows to local communities, creating safe, secure and well-paid jobs. It promotes inclusive workforce development, supporting First Nations employment, gender equality and regional transition opportunities. Every funded project will also be required to share data and insights, building a collective knowledge base that benefits the whole industry and accelerates innovation.

The government's approach stands in stark contrast to those opposite. The coalition have never reckoned with the changing global landscape. They are happiest when they're talking Australian industry down. They spent a decade in government doing nothing to address our declining productivity, nothing to strengthen our sovereign capability and nothing to prepare Australia for a clean energy future. They cannot even agree on whether climate change is real, let alone put forward a serious plan to seize the opportunities of the global energy transformation. Their approach is one of complacency and neglect, leaving Australia underinvested and vulnerable to global shocks.

By contrast Labor is acting with urgency and ambition. We are building new industries, new jobs and new opportunities and securing our place in the global clean energy economy. We are ensuring that the benefits of this transformation are felt by communities across our country. Fundamentally, the Future Made in Australia agenda, with the Battery Breakthrough Initiative, is about people. It's about the workers in Port Kembla, in Geelong, in Brisbane, in Sydney and in regional towns across the country who will find new opportunities in the industries of the future. It's about the students in our universities who will help develop the next breakthroughs. It's about the communities who will benefit from cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy. This is what a future made in Australia looks like—a future where we not only mine the minerals but manufacture the products; a future where our economy is more resilient, our communities are stronger and our environment is safeguarded.

I am proud to be part of a government that is making this vision a reality.

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