Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) | Hansard source

I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for a comprehensive investigation into the political and financial relationships between the Albanese Labor Government, industry superannuation funds, and unions, and their impact on government policy, specifically regarding net-zero targets, wind and solar energy, and nuclear energy.

Follow the money. If you want to know why the Australian Labor Party is indulging in a childish scare campaign against nuclear energy, follow the money. This pathetic Labor scare campaign is an insult to the intelligence of every Australian. If Labor was truly against nuclear energy on principle, it would cancel any arrangements to purchase nuclear powered submarines and it would dismantle the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney.

However, we know Labor has no principles other than doing the bidding of the union thugs who fund them. This appears to be the ultimate reason behind Labor's antinuclear scare campaign. Labor provides billions of dollars of grants, subsidies and incentives to support renewable energy investments. Between Labor and the coalition, this has cost taxpayers $29 billion over the past 10 years.

Labor enforces regulations and mandates which enforce a guaranteed market for renewable energy. Industry superannuation funds controlled by Labor's union bosses invest heavily in these renewable projects, and why not? They are underwritten by taxpayers, thanks to Labor, guaranteeing a lucrative return for these union-controlled super funds. These lucrative returns are then used to support the Labor Party with large donations. It was no coincidence that in December 2023 union-controlled industry super funds demanded even more favourable investment conditions, underwritten by taxpayers, for the transition to net zero. These funds include Cbus, chaired by former Labor treasurer Wayne Swan, and AustralianSuper, which has close ties to former Labor prime minister Paul Keating. I'll highlight a few more union affiliations amongst the current Labor cabinet: Bill Shorten and the AWU, Tony Burke and the SDA in New South Wales, Don Farrell and the SDA in South Australia, Katy Gallagher and the CPSU, Pat Conroy and the CFMEU and the AMWU, and Richard Marles and the ACTU.

It's insidious how much unions have infiltrated this parliament and how this compromises good government. This is a scam paid for by the Australian taxpayer through subsidies and by Australian consumers through their record higher energy bills. Labor and its union masters don't want this corrupt gravy train derailed by nuclear energy. That's why they've come out swinging against it while once again showing their absolute contempt for the intelligence of the Australian people. Fortunately, Australians are smart enough not to fall for Labor's pathetic scare campaign of three-eyed fish memes.

Australians understand that nuclear power is safely used at 450 sites around the world in 32 countries. Australia is the only advanced economy of the world which doesn't make use of this proven technology, despite having at least a quarter of the planet's proven uranium reserves. This important natural advantage to Australia is being squandered. It makes absolutely no sense that Australia, one of the world's most energy-rich countries, is facing energy shortages this winter and has some of the highest energy prices in the world—that is, unless you follow the money trail.

Labor and the unions are orchestrating a massive scam on the Australian people, and the price of it will be our economy and our standard of living. This scam and the destruction it is causing must be exposed and stopped. Nuclear energy is the beginning, but uranium is just one of Australia's natural advantages. We also have abundant reserves of coal and natural gas. All of these natural advantages should be utilised in an independent energy policy that prioritises affordability and reliability over climate change ideology. The Prime Minister's inability to stand up to unions has been exposed by thugs like John Setka. The Prime Minister's weakness has been further exposed by Senator Payman, who has escaped any serious sanction for crossing the floor against Labor's policy last week.

Why are we allowing this union-Labor renewable scam to happen? Is it to arrest climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions? If it is, that's not working. Global emissions continue to rise, another indicator of the union-Labor renewable scam.