QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (14:19): 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. Honourable senators interjecting— Senator AYRES: Oh, I expect you to recover immediately.

The PRESIDENT: Minister Ayres, you need to direct your answers to me. Senator AYRES: 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.) The PRESIDENT: Senator Waters, first supplementary?