My question is to the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister Ayres. Why is the Albanese government constantly doing the bidding of big polluters? You're not making gas companies pay their fair share of tax with a gas export tax of at least 25 per cent. Instead, you've proposed a flimsy 20 per cent gas reservation, which will raise no revenue, and now you're weakening even that with a 'get out of jail free' card for gas by making it 'up to' 20 per cent for a reservation and contemplating carve-outs for gas corporations. When will you ever put the interests of Australians and a safe climate ahead of the interests of gas corporations?

Thank you to Senator Waters. I suppose it can't be said, Senator Waters, that you've been doing the bidding of former senator Bob Brown—not this week.

Oh, I expect you to recover immediately.

Minister Ayres, you need to direct your answers to me.

It's kind of difficult not to respond. The gas reservation plan that the Albanese government will legislate is the biggest policy reform in Australian gas in our lifetime. It is a much bigger reform and much more important to the national interest, whether that's conceived of in terms of our sovereign resilience interest, our industrial interests or the pathway of the Australian economy or our partners to lower emissions production. It will mean lower prices and sufficient gas for Australian industry. It will matter for households.

Our gas tax is a revenue measure. That is all it is. This is a measure that means Australian gas will be a cornerstone of future Australian competitiveness in energy terms. That means more investment into blue collar jobs, more investment into heavy industry that relies upon gas, more investment in new industry for Australia. That's what it means. Now, that will make a difference in outer suburbs in particular and industrial regions that you may never visit. You may never visit them. It's going to mean a future for Australian manufacturing. It's the right reform. (Time expired.)

Senator Waters, first supplementary?

The coalition has set their terms for their support for the gas reservation. They want more pollution, and they don't care if prices are higher for consumers. Are you planning to do a deal with the coalition to benefit the big gas corporations who want to keep exporting and keep energy prices high, instead of introducing a gas export tax that would mean cheaper energy for Australians and raise $17 billion a year?

Rather than, as Senator Wong has indicated, building the case for excuses and a political rationale for blocking this reform, you should probably just apologise to working Australians if you're going to let them down. You should probably apologise to people who work hard every day in manufacturing firms who need competitive gas—

Tell that to Whyalla.

 and who need a future for their industries, because we've all got a responsibility here. We've got a responsibility here as a parliament and as a government.

Senator Shoebridge, I called you and I've asked you to come to order. I expect you to respect that.

This is a landmark Labor reform that puts a heavy obligation on gas producers in the Australian national interest, and we will bring it to the parliament. We will bring it to the parliament.

Senator Shoebridge interjects, and we'll have a little bit more to say about that in a moment.

Thank you, Minister. The time for answering has—

Have you quite finished, Senator Shoebridge? Come to order! Senator Shoebridge, either come to order or leave the chamber. Senator Waters, second supplementary?

The budget papers revealed that there are only two revenue sources that are collecting less and less every year—the tobacco excise and the petroleum resources rent tax. The Treasurer claims he fixed the PRRT in the last parliament, but multinational gas corporations are paying less tax while their profits grow. Does the minister acknowledge that Australia's gas export taxes are fundamentally broken?

This reform is about making sure that we can deliver affordable gas. Now, I spent a long time before I came into this parliament as a trade union official in heavy industry and the manufacturing sector, and I watched facilities after facility close because Australian prices rose over that period.

And if poor old Senator Shoebridge was remotely interested in the future of Australian industry, he should be going there. He should try talking to the people who run these firms or represent workers in these firms.

Minister Ayres—

I remember what you said about the people of Queensland.

Senator McAllister—order on my left!

This is overwhelmingly in the national interest. It means that we will deliver a future made in Australia based on a competitive energy price. (Time expired)