Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources. How has the Albanese Labor government delivered for the critical minerals industry in its first year?

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to the member for Pearce for her question and for her ongoing and enduring support for the resources sector of this country. This government recognises the role of critical minerals in our net zero ambitions and the role critical minerals will play in helping Australia and the world to decarbonise. As I have said before, the road to net zero runs through Australia's resources sector.

Over these past 12 months since the election, the Albanese government has been delivering in spades for the Australian critical minerals sector. Last weekend the Prime Minister met with President Biden and enhanced Australia's relationship with the US by establishing climate, critical minerals and clean energy, alongside defence and economic cooperation, as the third pillar of the Australia-United States alliance. This is encapsulated in the Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact signed by the Prime Minister and the President last week. As part of this compact, I'll gladly be spearheading a new Australia-US task force on critical minerals that will fast track critical minerals supply chain development between our two countries. This task force will be administered by my department, in cooperation with the US National Security Council. This is a very important step and a significant step for the critical minerals and rare earths industry of this nation.

That's just one of the many ways this government is helping to build the critical minerals industry in this country since taking power. We've also entered into agreements on investment and development of critical minerals and rare elements with Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea, France and India. And it does not end there. I recently announced close to $50 million in grants to 13 projects across Australia as part of the second tranche of the Critical Minerals Development Program. Those grants are expected to drive up to $120 million of private sector investment and support up to 900 jobs, including around 100 roles for First Nations Australians. These projects will produce critical minerals—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, if she interjects again, will be warned.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

such as cobalt, graphite, high-purity alumina, tungsten and rare earths and provide key inputs into strategic supply chains. The support for the sector does not stop there. We also in the recent budget announced $57 million for the international partnerships program, aimed at securing strategic and commercial partnerships, and $23 million to extend the operation of the all-important Critical Minerals Office. This is in addition to the government's $1 billion Value-Adding in Resources fund that is part of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, which those opposite failed to support. The National Reconstruction Fund will support the development of our critical minerals, which those opposite used to say they support. In abandoning the space in supporting the National Reconstruction Fund they have also abandoned the critical minerals sector of this country.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I give the call to the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister referred to a number of documents in her answer. She referred to a compact. She referred to agreements with Japan, Korea and so on. Will the minister table those documents?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the point of order: the standing order in reference to Practice is if somebody is reading from a document, not whether they mention it.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll hear from the Leader of the Opposition.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a serious issue, and there's a history in this parliament: where ministers read verbatim every word from a document they should table that document. I would ask you to ask her to table that document.

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I was listening carefully to the minister. She was talking about the reports. I don't believe she was reading directly from the reports. Was the minister reading from confidential documents?