QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Ms MADELEINE KING (Brand—Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia) (14:59): I thank the member for Bendigo for that question. She is a champion of her community. Today, this government, under the leadership of this Prime Minister, released the exposure draft legislation of the landmark Labor reform, the national gas reservation scheme.

We are securing more Australian gas for Australian households, for Australian businesses, for Australian industry and for Australia's economic and energy security. For the member for Bendigo, and for members right around this country, this will drive thousands of new jobs in manufacturing and in the resources sector. It is gas in our reservation scheme that will allow the Fosterville and the Costerfield mines to employ more workers.

I was lucky to visit the Fosterville mine, the great gold mine in the member for Bendigo's electorate, last year, and gas from that reservation will supply a diverse manufacturing base in Bendigo for products like ham and custard to the legendary Bushmaster vehicle, which is so essential for our defence forces. Australian consumers deserve and expect that they will be able to access affordable Australian gas before it heads overseas.

This government will make that happen. What we are requiring of the gas industry is simple and it is fair. Simply set aside a portion of what you export for Australia, the nation that produces the product, and for the workers that have built the industry over decades.

The rest of that gas? Well, that is open for export, and those exports will continue to provide for the energy security of our important trading partners. I'm asked about why this is needed after a wasted decade.

In 2022 we inherited a gas policy bin fire from the coalition—a bin fire to say the least. Those opposite left this country ill prepared for the energy crisis that engulfed most of the world following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and ill prepared for the failure of coal-fired power plants that drove up gas prices and power prices to unacceptable levels. Since then, we have done much reform, and it has ended most recently with the gas market review that led to the conclusion that we need to build a national gas reservation scheme.

The release of the exposure draft today is a major step forward, and I look forward to further consultation on this with industry and with the community and to working with parliament to achieve this energy and fuel security for Australians. It will be a matter for each member of the Liberal Party, for each member of the Nationals, for each member of One Nation and for others in this House and to decide if they want to support a gas reservation scheme that will deliver Australian gas for Australian households and Australian businesses.

This government is committed to delivering Australian gas for Australians for the long-term future of this— (Time expired)