Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson-Young for the question. Senator Hanson-Young, I completely reject the proposition of your question. I have to say I think in all of the portfolios in this chamber we back the millions of Australians that you referred to. In relation to the specific issue that you have raised, you would be aware that the bight is one of the most promising frontier oil and gas regions in the world. Australians needs oil and gas from the bight for—as you might be interested to know; the Australian people you referred to would certainly be interested to know—energy security, but also to protect the jobs in manufacturing. And, yes, that is something that we're prepared to do.

Australia has one of the best and safest offshore regimes in the world. And, in fact, Senator Hanson-Young, your former partners-in-crime, in ALP senators Chisholm and Urquhart, said last year in a Senate inquiry into oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight, 'The Australian offshore oil and gas industry is subject to one of the most rigorous environmental and safety regulatory regimes in the world'—