QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (14:29): Thank you, Senator O'Neill, for that question. As somebody who's been a proud supporter in regional New South Wales and regional Australia of the government's Future Made in Australia approach, I do welcome that question. It is unambiguously about making Australia stronger; making our industrial regions and our outer suburbs, where factories are inevitably built, stronger and fairer; and rebuilding our industrial base facility by facility.

This isn't, of course, about making every single thing within Australia. It's not a return to protectionism but about making our economy more complex, more productive, with good jobs, and making sure that we're more resilient in the future. We have secured, through our interventions thus far, more than 35,000 jobs in regional economies like Mount Isa, Port Pirie, Hobart, Whyalla, Gladstone and the Hunter Valley—smelting capacity in lead and zinc and copper, aluminium and steel, and in critical minerals like gallium and antimony.

There are 7½ thousand more manufacturing businesses in Australia than there were before this government took office. There is over $1.65 billion worth of investments through the National Reconstruction Fund. This is about hard work with Australian industry to make our economy stronger and to make our nation stronger as well, and more resilient in potentially tougher times ahead, with the benefits of these investments flowing through to blue-collar jobs in engineering and trades jobs in regions like the Hunter Valley and in our outer suburbs, and in particular for young Australians.

(Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator O'Neill, first supplementary?