Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think all of North Queensland should be very concerned after the nonanswers we heard today from the Minister for Industry and Innovation. He was asked a very specific question by the shadow minister for resources, Senator McDonald, about the government's plan to help save the 17,000 jobs in North Queensland that rely on the Townsville copper refinery and the Mount Isa copper smelter. The minister gave no answers. The Queensland government has put forward a proposal—and I recognise that Glencore has said that the Queensland government's proposal is not adequate to save these jobs—but this should be a partnership between the state and federal governments. As we heard—or didn't hear, as it is—from the minister for industry, the federal government has proposed no plan, no tangible action whatsoever, to help save these jobs.

The questions that have to be asked are: What has the government been doing apart from congratulating itself on its election victory and saving its own jobs a few months ago? What is it doing to help save these jobs? It is also very concerning that the minister failed to outline exactly what problem is facing this industry and why these jobs are at risk. He probably doesn't want to do that, because it would be embarrassing for the government to admit their own faults. Thankfully, the Australian Workers' Union are not as shy as the minister. In a Facebook post on 8 July the Australian Workers' Union said:

Between skyrocketing energy prices, cheap dumping and tariff wars, smelters such as Nyrstar and Glencore Mt Isa are up against a wall.

It is very embarrassing for the government for one of its own unions that notionally support it to point out that skyrocketing energy prices are one of the reasons why these jobs are on the line. This government came to power promising lower energy prices. They promised that net zero would deliver a cheaper energy future. Instead, we have the circumstance three years after their initial election of thousands of jobs being put at risk in this country because the government has failed on its promises. It has failed to run a functioning energy market in this country. It used to actually pay taxes and generate profits and wealth for our country, but now it's having to come to state and federal governments with its hands out for a taxpayer bailout to keep these jobs.

The first thing we need from this government is a plan to save these jobs. The second thing we need is an admission of guilt and fault. The only way you're going to fix your problem is to first admit that you've got one, and we've got a big one with this government and the skyrocketing energy prices we are all living with.

Question agreed to.