Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Glencore's announced closure of Mount Isa's copper smelter and the Townsville refinery takes down 30 supply mines and Australia's giant fertiliser plant. Townsville Enterprise estimates 15,000 jobs will vanish. Glencore's incompetence and unpleasantness notwithstanding, gas prices are $16 whilst in Russia and America they're $6. Surely a gas reserve resource policy is imperative. Further, can financial assistance be given on a conditional 50 per cent government ownership basis only to Glencore? Prime Minister, won't rescuing Mount Isa enrich the aquifers of your soul, enhancing your Christianity and patriotism?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy for his usual eloquence when it comes to asking a question—and, indeed, my spirits have been uplifted whenever I have been with him in Mount Isa, including by being the first prime minister I think since Hawkie to go to the Mount Isa rodeo, as well as when visiting the facilities at Glencore, which I have done on at least four occasions over the years both the member for Kennedy and myself have been in this chamber.

I understand and am very sympathetic with the member's position. The minister for industry and science—and I'll ask his rep here to supplement this answer—has been working with the Queensland premier Crisafulli. I have had direct discussions with the Premier as well. The closure of the Glencore copper mine has had a direct impact on its copper smelter and other facilities in the region. But we know how important these facilities are to the Mount Isa community.

I make this point as well. Part of the Future Made in Australia agenda is our understanding that areas like critical minerals are important for us, that they are impacted by policies, whether it be domestic policies of some countries, such as the United States—the changes that they have made to tariffs—or the actions of countries such as China and the way that they've responded on international markets. We'll continue to work constructively. I know how important this is for the member for Kennedy. I was there this year, as I have been just about every year. I'd ask Minister Conroy to supplement the answer.

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also applaud the member for Kennedy's long leadership on this issue. He's fighting very hard for his community, as is the Keep Our Copper delegation. As the Prime Minister said, Minister Ayres is engaging with the state government and Glencore about this issue. As the PM has said—let's be clear—Glencore is a highly profitable company that has done very well out of Australia, and it's time for Glencore to be good to Australia.

It's also important that Australian gas has to be available and affordable for all Australians, and that's why we've launched a review into the mechanisms involved there. This follows our work on capping coal and gas prices, which those opposite opposed. We'll focus on making gas more affordable for manufacturers so that Mount Isa has a strong future into the next few decades.