Tyron Whitten (WA, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

The natural resources of a nation belong to its people. The benefits of these resources must flow to them. One Nation recognises the vital role that industry plays in extracting the bountiful energy reserves of Australia. Without the expertise of world-class industry, these resources would be worth nothing to us. However, it is the job of the government to ensure that the people of Australia see the maximum benefit of our incredible natural wealth while ensuring that the incentives remain strong for their extraction. This balance is vital in the crucial energy sector. All economic activity, no matter what you are engaged in, is downstream of cheap, reliable energy. Without it, our country grinds to a halt.

We have seen over the past couple of weeks just what it looks like when a government puts ideology before energy security. We have seen how quickly a crisis can escalate when we no longer have sovereign energy capabilities. The fact is that our energy systems have been under assault for a very long time, with unreliable, intermittent power sources being forced on us and replacing what was reliable, predictable generation. We've heard this week about the extraordinary steps farmers in the regions have had to consider, because they aren't sure they'll be able to feed their stock or plant or harvest their crops due to fuel shortages. They've had to consider if they need to put down their animals rather than let them starve, because we cannot guarantee they will have the fuel they need to keep going, to feed their animals and in turn feed the nation. This is merely weeks into the Iran war—not months or years, but weeks. We used to refine well over 90 per cent of our fuel domestically. We used to be self-reliant. Now, any blip in global supply and we are sent into turmoil and shortages, when we have an abundance of fuel right here in our own backyard.

There is much competition for our oil and gas in the region, especially natural gas, with our neighbours in South-East Asia recognising the vital importance of this energy source. They incentivise the use of these fuels and pay out long-term contracts to ensure they have a long-term stable supply. If only we had the same foresight in this country. Senator Hanson's bill, the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Domestic Reserve) Bill 2026, would shore up the domestic supply and bring back to our energy markets the certainty that is sorely lacking under this Labor government. Look around at the havoc brought on Australia by Labor's radical energy sabotage. Manufacturing is fleeing the country as power becomes unaffordable. Our energy companies are looking to invest overseas as uncertainty over environmental regulations, taxes and vexatious court cases drives out capital. We need to get our country back to certainty, back to an economy that people can thrive in. Cheap reliable energy is the first step to that.

While energy is the cornerstone of all modern economies, the use of oil and gas extend far beyond into innumerable products and processes. Natural gas is a vital resource; it was previously the darling of the green movement, the saviour to come in and oust evil coal. Now, the suicidal Left has put gas on the same demonised scrap heap, along with any other form of reliable, consistent dispatchable energy. Gas isn't just used to burn for electricity or heat; it is vital for so much more in our economy. The biggest non-energy use for gas is to create ammonia, which is how we get our nitrogen based fertilisers, which is how we feed ourselves. It is estimated that nitrogen based fertilisers feed around four billion people, or half the world's population. It's a modern miracle we can produce food so readily. But without a reliable supply of natural gas, the imports for our farmers, the people who feed our nation, become more expensive and, in turn, our food becomes more expensive.

Securing our domestic supplies of oil and gas is not just an energy issue; it is vital across all levels of the Australian economy. The Labor government won't prioritise Australian supply because it doesn't fit in with their insane green crusade, so One Nation will step in to fight for Australians' rights to their own resources.

Let's not forget about oil. Oil is used to produce some of the most useful material we have today—plastics and polymers, synthetic fibre and more. These are the building blocks for all the goods we take for granted, goods that have raised our standard of living and provided even the worst off in our society with a dignified life. We use oil for bitumen to pave our roads that carry the trucks and transport that are the lifeblood of our economy. It is in paints, lubricants, cosmetics, detergents—you name it—and some component of it probably started its life in a barrel of oil.

As much as Labor and the Greens might hate it, the reality is we would be centuries behind where we are today if it wasn't for oil. A reservation policy is a novel concept. We know it works. Western Australia has a state based reserve policy, and we're seeing the cheapest retail prices in the country. We won't mention the fact that the Labor government in WA is trying to shut down the cheap coal plants, but reservation policies work. They ensure that the domestic price is driven down by the additional supply while still allowing the industry to access foreign markets.

'Australia first' is all we're asking for. Why Labor doesn't understand that is beyond me. These projects are going to produce these vital resources, whether we like it or not. They will be burned in one way or another somewhere in the world. Let's make sure that, when they are, it is Australia that gets the benefit. Refusing to debate energy security at a time when affordability and supply are major concerns in Australia is simply not good enough. Australians deserve to be heard. They deserve a government willing to listen, and they deserve a genuine debate about the future of energy in Australia.