QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr BOWEN (McMahon—Minister for Climate Change and Energy) (14:24): I thank the honourable gentleman for the question. We can more than promise a future made in Australia; we can deliver a future made in Australia, because we believe in the opportunities for our great country in decarbonising the world. We believe that the regions that have powered Australia for so long will power us into the future in a different way.

We believe that industries like aluminium need a supply of energy which is reliable and we believe they need a supply of energy which is cheap. That's why we are determined to continue the transition that's underway in this country, which those opposite would stop. They would stop it if they had the opportunity.

Again today the honourable member quotes the Tomago statement, which I had already quoted. I had already quoted it because it says that the submissions they'd had from coal-fired power were uncompetitive, and that is true. They went on to say: … there is significant uncertainty about when renewable projects will be available at the scale we need.

That's unfortunate, but we agreed we should have more renewables quicker. Those opposite would see less renewables across our country. The Boyne Island smelter in Queensland has managed to get enough renewables.

They've secured more than two gigawatts worth of renewables. That's a good thing; that is the future of aluminium smelting. The Tomago facility is in a different situation.

As I said previously, this government—through the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the industry minister, the member for Shortland and the Hunter members—will leave nothing on the table. We will continue the conversations with Tomago and with Rio and with the New South Wales government to see if anything is possible to support this facility and to support the workers.

Regardless of the outcome, we will be there for the people of the Hunter, because, when industrial change happens, it's important that government steps up. And this government will step up for the people of the Hunter. We will step up not only about Tomago but about the other opportunities in the Hunter, because the people of the Hunter, having powered Australia for so long and having shaped so much of Australia's future, deserve nothing less.

They don't need a minister at this dispatch box celebrating the departure of manufacturing jobs, goading manufacturing to leave or saying, 'Don't worry; another business will come along,' which is what Joe Hockey said when the Point Henry smelter—the last smelter to close in Australia—announced their closure in 2014. That's what would happen if those opposite held the levers.

It will not happen on our watch.