Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

There's some of this territory, I think, that Senator Canavan and I agree upon, and some that we don't. It's certainly the case that electricity prices, electricity supply, gas supply and gas prices are fundamental questions for Australian industry. Australian industry needs affordable electricity, and it needs affordable gas. That is why this government and the announcements that have been made in relation to the reviews of the national electricity market, reviews in terms of the gas market—those reviews have been undertaken. And, as you would imagine, I'm very engaged with industry about that important work because it is important work.

One message that is really clear coming back from Australian industry—heavy industry, blue-collar industry, manufacturing sector, future industrial investors who want to invest in, for example iron production or critical minerals production in Australia and the current industrial production sector—is that what they want is policy certainty. What they want is a policy framework that delivers more investment in electricity.