Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator. Gas is a critical enabler of Australia's economy. It supports our manufacturing sector, which employs over 850,000 Australians, and is an essential input in the production of a range of items such as plastic for PPE and fertiliser for food production. Ensuring a reliable, stable and affordable supply of gas to power Australian jobs and industries is one of the highest priorities of this Liberal and National government. Those opposite don't have a plan to secure the dispatchable capacity that the manufacturing industry will rely on into the future. We know, Senator McAllister, what your plans are, because Labor's real plan is always higher taxes—more and higher taxes. We saw it at the last election with their $387 billion plan for more taxes. They've only got one plan. The Liberals and Nationals can deliver the secure, reliable and affordable energy that will underpin our economic recovery, create new jobs and grow our manufacturing sector.