Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, the Gladstone community was taken by complete surprise by Rio Tinto's decision to cut production at the Yarwun Alumina Refinery at Gladstone, impacting some 180 jobs. The site currently employs around 725 people and produces about three million tonnes of alumina per year. The decision comes just months after Rio's announcement of the potential closure of the Gladstone power station come 2029 and also the flagged closure of the Tomago Aluminium smelter near Newcastle. I would like to put it on the record that my thoughts are with the impacted workers first and foremost. They've got mouths to feed and rent to pay, and they're just trying to make ends meet. While I acknowledge Rio Tinto have stated that they will make every effort to find opportunities for these impacted workers, the level of uncertainty for these workers, their families and the alumina industry in general—especially this close to Christmas—is very concerning.

How many industries and how many jobs need to be lost until this Labor government wake up and understand that their reckless energy policy is destroying our manufacturing capability in Australia? In the past five years Australia has lost over 7,000 direct jobs in heavy industry, with a further 73,000 relying on taxpayer support to survive. Last month it was announced that up to a thousand jobs are in immediate jeopardy at the Tomago Aluminium smelter due to soaring energy prices. In that same month, the federal and Queensland governments announced a rescue package of $600 million over three years for Glencore's Mount Isa copper smelter and the Townsville refinery. Without government handouts, more than 600 direct jobs and a further 500 jobs at the nearby Phosphate Hill facility would have been lost. This is another example of the governments having to subsidise heavy industry due to high energy prices—the same high energy prices that are a result of Labor's reckless renewable energy policy.

I've got many questions for the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and this government that I want answered. For the hardworking men and women in the heavy industry, mining and resource sectors, what does their future look like? Honestly! Why do they have to give up their jobs to appease the government's targets? That is what is happening. While the Labor government is committed to shutting down industries that power and build this nation to reach international emissions targets, I am committed to fighting for every single worker in Central Queensland, and I will continue to fight to protect their jobs.