Zaneta Mascarenhas
Swan · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“The additional thing that I think is useful for us to think about—and I'll put my engineering hat on—is that in the mining industry one of the things that we do intentionally is something called preventive maintenance.”
“For my cousin, who had emergency heart surgery—basically, when they got to the moment of, 'You have a leaky heart valve; we need to perform emergency surgery on you'—the question was: 'How much will this cost? And can you afford it?' So I'm incredibly grateful for the Australian Medicare system.”
“The committee concluded its examination of all legislative instruments within the disallowance timeframe. While the committee observed an improvement of the timeliness of ministerial responses to requests for information, the fast paced parliamentary legislative program prevented the committee from providing timely scrutiny on some occasi…”
“This bill sets out clear guidelines to maintain the quality of these programs, and it makes sure they are run properly, with the same safeguards that protect other dollars spent across Medicare.”
“I remember another one of my friends, who was a lawyer from Melbourne travelling in the US, and he talked about going out hiking. He basically got this massive, deep wound in his leg and he's like, 'I'm not going to see a doctor because it's going to cost me a lot,' so he continued to make sure that he kept it sterile.”
“That looks like more people seeing a doctor instead of putting it off. The lingering cough that you keep meaning to get checked out, the blemish on your arm that doesn't look quite right or the stubbed toe that turns out to be properly broken—that is what these incentive programs are really for.”
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“I am a woman who followed in my dad's steel capped boots into the male dominated resource sector, and I was determined to use my love of science and also harmonise industry with sustainable practices. In the town where I grew up, Kambalda, when the houses were built, they removed the footprint of where the houses would go, but what that meant was that everyone had gum trees in their back yards and their front yards. I also grew up learning how to rehabilitate mine sites. Mr Woolard was the environmental leader that worked on the mines there, and he taught us as students that you could heal the land after you extracted the minerals that you wanted.”
“Our goal is to strike the balance and to safeguard what is precious and for Australia to continue to be an amazing nation. So some might be surprised to learn of the love of the land from those that have worked on the mines. The mines, of course, run 24/7. When you work on the mines, you actually plug into the land more than you do in an air conditioned office. Imagine seeing a mob of kangaroos at the edge of a mine site at dusk or hearing at dawn the chorus of desert birds. I bring to this chamber 18 years of experience as a chemical engineer, as someone that was born in a goldmining town, who grew up in a nickel-mining town and who is the daughter of a fitter and turner.”
“One of the things that I would like to do as I rise today as a Western Australian engineer who has worked on the mines is dispel some myths and falsehoods. One of the myths is that people that take part in the resource sector do not like nature or the great Australian outdoors and also that being an environmentalist means that you're always anti economic prosperity. We live in a world where we need to both look after the environment and use our resources wisely for our prosperity. We need the critical minerals, and we need to look after the land, and the world needs Australia. Not only do we need this legislation; we need leadership. We need leadership from our government, we need leadership from the Greens, and we need leadership from the coalition.”
“I rise today to support the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and cognate bills. I rise to defend nature and I rise to stand up for the engines of our nation's prosperity. I rise to speak to one of the most important topics in the country: the land itself. It is a land that my parents fell in love with more than 50 years ago. It is a land that I fell in love with and a land that I worked on, just like my old man. 'Stunning country' is how I describe the childhood hometown where I grew up, Kambalda, and my birthplace, Kalgoorlie. The goldfields of Western Australia are not just a source of mineral treasures; they are a source of natural treasures too. The ecosystem systems are complex and intensely alive, and anyone who has looked at our deserts and only saw red dirt and flies did not look hard enough.”
“This is a great example of what happens when we back local manufacturing. It means jobs in our community, it means world-class products made right here at home, and it means our emergency services are equipped with gear that they can trust. As we celebrate the work of our firefighters, let's also celebrate businesses like Stewart & Heaton who support them. I thank Simon Stewart and the whole team. And who knew that the Minister for Small Business's dad was also a textile engineer? So cool!”
“Where do firefighters find their outfits? Guess where they find them? Right here in Australia, thanks to Stewart & Heaton, a proudly local, family owned business, which has been keeping our frontline heroes looking smart for more than 30 years. Alongside the Minister for Small Business, I was proud to visit Stewart & Heaton in Belmont. Not only did we get to see female coppers getting to check out their uniforms for the very first time; we also saw a company that was deeply committed to innovation, safety and local jobs. Stewart & Heaton sells and manufactures high-performance protective clothing for firefighters and emergency services right across Australia. Their gear is designed for Aussie conditions—made to withstand some of the toughest environments—and tailored to those who put themselves in harm's way to protect us.”
“Are you prepared to do this once-in-a-generation reform? I'm a proud miner. I am also proud of our beautiful Australian environment. Come on; bring it on.”
“I've stood on mine sites that have powered the nation's economy. I have also helped rehabilitate these mine sites and bring them back to life. Our EPBC reforms are important. Our environmental laws are old, outdated and overloaded; they are too slow for business and too weak for nature. Our reforms fix this. To the Liberal Party, the supposed party of business: go back to basics and back business. You need to support these reforms. To the Greens: you are the party of protest. Why don't you be the party of progress? We can create these reforms that will be amazing for generations to come. Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and we have a moment in time when we can create laws that are good for business but also good for the environment. Put the politics aside.”
“This bill sits squarely within Labor's social justice agenda, which seeks a fair social security system that is lawful by design, humane in practice and careful with public money and that validates good-faith decisions.”
“Policy choices have consequences. Australians expect systems that are lawful, humane and respectful. Let me address the safeguards in law. The validation is tightly confined to apportionment of employment income. To speak plainly, robodebt was the coalition's scheme. It used tax-year income averaging to invent fortnightly earnings. It ignored warnings. It hurt people. It was unlawful. This bill is part of the government's answer. It validates only assessments grounded in real pay slips and real payroll periods. It draws a bright statutory line that excludes income averaging. It has been scrutinised. It builds safeguards, transparency and a voluntary, time limited resolution scheme. The coalition's record shows that ideology overruled integrity. Our record shows evidence, lawfulness and respect.”
“As one recommendation of the financial abuse inquiry said, victims must not be blocked from relief because an abuser compelled a mistake. Schedule 2 delivers that change. That's why I was proud to work with Senator Deborah O'Neill. From listening to the people, the victims-survivors, we were able to shape this reform. A majority female government is shaping systems that used to disempower victims to now disempower abusers, and we're acting on the national plan to prevent violence against women. I also welcome the government's commitment to clarity for those who need payments. Services Australia will need a plain English guidance, clear tools for staff, letters tested with customer reference groups, outreach to those with paused debts, simple pathways into the scheme and support for people who need help to engage.”
“General laws are preserved. The approach reflects consultation and evidence. The ombudsman urged prompt, transparent remediation. Sampling showed that the impact of apportionment on the final amount was usually very small. Advocates argued for compassion; administrators argued for practicality. This bill blends both. Behind the scenes everyone is a person. It could be casuals juggling shifts, parents saving every pay slip or people whose payroll cycles never matched up with Centrelink fortnights. They deserve clarity, not years of reconstruction. They deserve decisions that reflect reality. In passing, let me return to the financial abuse inquiry. Our job was to ensure that our systems do not entrench control.”
“Others will ask: why not waive everything? It's because in most cases the debt still exists under the proper method, because many debts were unaffected by the apportionment and because blanket refunds are not fair to others who followed the rules or repaid unrelated debts. This bill reflects what fairness demands: validate what was done in good faith, fix the waiver rules, raise and index the small debt threshold, clear the old undetermined amounts and offer a modest optional resolution payment. That is guided, as I said, by evidence, order and clarity. Safeguards are built in. Justification must be evidenced for special circumstances waivers. The scheme is optional and time limited. Review rights exist within the scheme. The appropriation is specific. Validation is tightly confined to apportionment of employment income.”
“It was unlawful. This bill validates a method grounded in evidence—real pay slips and real payroll records. It sets a lawful hierarchy for historical records. It preserves rights and adds safeguards. The bill also includes a full human rights statement. It engages the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living. It expands discretion where justice demands it. It lifts the small debt threshold. It offers a simple resolution payment. Some will ask: why not recalculate everything? It's because that would take years and we must act now to shore up our social services system. It would force people, employers and banks to dig up ancient records, and it would deliver very small changes in most cases. So it would be a drag on resources and take away from actually servicing people today.”
“There will be internal review for scheme decisions. Payments are tax free, and it is intended that they will be exempt from the social security income test by instrument. If a person accepts a resolution payment, they release the Commonwealth from liability for a claim about the use of apportionment for that debt. If they do not accept, they keep their rights—it's their choice. Schedule 4 provides a special appropriation. It funds resolution payments and it funds amounts payable when division 3 income is worked out. Let me be clear on one point: the payment systems at Services Australia may remind members of the public of the trauma of robodebt. This system cannot become robodebt, and it is a direct response designed to prevent it. Robodebt used tax data averaging to fabricate fortnightly income. It punished the vulnerable.”
“Schedule 3 of the legislation creates the Income Apportionment Resolution Scheme. It's simple, optional and time limited. It covers debts affected by income apportionment between 20 September 2003 and 6 December 2020. Eligible people can receive a small, fixed resolution payment—in most cases between $200 and $600. It recognises the modest effect seen in sampling. It gives closure without forcing people to rebuild their work history. It avoids case-by-case recalculation. Why those dates? The daily attribution rules came in from September 2003 and interacted with the apportionment. In 2020 we moved to paid-date attribution, which made apportionment unnecessary. The scheme will run for approximately 12 months. There will be flexibility for special cases. Some decisions can be made by a computer, where appropriate.”
“Any rational person would recognise that was not their fault nor their failing; it was coercion and control, and it was wrong. This is similar to other cases that I recall about abuse being enabled by structures long neglected. For too long the law said no because of the word 'knowingly', which left out coercion. This bill also standardises the small debt waiver. The new threshold is $250 indexed each year to CPI. It removes clunky cost-effectiveness tests. This means fewer low-value debts, less churn and less stress on vulnerable people. There is a one-off clean-up too. If the amount under the threshold in the system at the commencement is not raised as a debt, the right to recover is waived. This clears backlogs created by pauses during COVID and natural disasters.”
“This includes manipulating Centrelink reporting requirements, lodging false claims or deliberately triggering compliance actions that result in payment suspensions. These actions are often taken without the woman's knowledge, leaving her without income and in financial distress.' We listened to some of the hard truths about the government systems, and we are acting. In that inquiry, what we saw was perpetrators using systems, whether it be banking or government systems, to perpetrate violence, abuse and financial coercion against their victims. It's unacceptable, and this government is acting to change our systems. The explanatory memorandum describes the case of person L, whose then partner lied to them about their earnings.”
“This change is in accordance with recommendation 58 of the 2024 Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services inquiry into financial abuse and with the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. Recommendation 58 of the F inancial abuse report called for reforms so that victims-survivors aren't blocked from special circumstances waivers if the perpetrator lies to Services Australia without the debtor's knowledge or if the debtor makes a false statement due to coercion or duress. I was proud to work with Senator Deborah O'Neill on that inquiry, and I am reminded of the submission from the Council for Single Mothers and their Children: 'We regularly hear from women whose former partners used Services Australia systems to continue financial control.”
“It reforms special circumstance waivers, it lifts and standardises the small debt waiver threshold and it clears a backlog of tiny, undetermined amounts. Under current law, decision-makers cannot waive a debt if a person, or another person, knowingly made a false statement. This was a very hard line, and it does not reflect real stories. It does not reflect the realities of coercion or financial abuse. It does not reflect fear. This bill responds to what we have heard. It lets decision-makers consider the broader context. If conduct occurred, but it was justified by the circumstances, the waiver can be applied. That includes coercion, financial abuse, acute mental ill health, homelessness and serious dependence.”
“It also makes sure that the old frameworks that referenced social security calculators line up with the same approach. Let's think about the scale of this issue. Over three decades, there were about 5.5 million debts that were potentially affected, which touched around three million people. The estimation of this debt is around $4.4 billion. Most of these debts are old—on average, 19 years old. About 97 per cent of these have already been paid. Around 148,000 debts were paused while the issue was resolved. Sampling tells us that not every debt used apportionment, and, when it was used, the change in the final amount was usually very modest. On the sample, the median change was under $100, and about two-thirds decreased and one-third increased. Schedule 2 of this legislation makes debt management fairer.”
“There is a strict hierarchy: first, if the evidence shows when the income was earned, allocate it to that entitlement period; second, if the precise days are unknown but the payroll period is known, it is apportioned across that payroll period; third, if neither days nor the payroll period can be identified, take the income into account in the entitlement period in which it was received—evidence first, consistency next and guesswork last. The hierarchy respects real-life circumstances. Pay slips often show a fortnight or a month, not each shift. Rosters rarely line up with Centrelink fortnights. This method turns messy paperwork into fair decisions. This bill also ensures consistency for youth training allowance decisions and former farm household support.”
“I'll start with schedule 1, which inserts a new part into the Social Security Act. It validates the historical use of income apportionment from 1 July 1991 to 6 December 2020. This was a practice which resulted in the spread of known income across the employer's payroll period. Officials then attributed daily amounts to the relevant entitlement periods. It was based on pay slips; it was grounded in real payroll records. It was done in good faith, but at times it did not match the strict letter of the law as it stood then. So this bill validates the method for the past and it preserves general legal rights. This schedule also gives decision-makers a clear rule book for any new decisions about pre-December-2020 income.”
“I rise today not just to support the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025 but also to affirm this government's commitment to listening to those who are often unheard—often our most vulnerable. This bill is a testament to what happens when we listen, when we hear stories of people navigating complex systems and when we act to make those systems fairer, clearer and more humane. It is practical, it is careful and, above all, it is a compassionate reform. This bill fixes technical problems that have lingered for years. It clarifies how employment income was treated before 7 December 2020. It values good-faith assessments that used income apportionment. It sets out lawful methods for any decisions to be made about those historic periods. It also improves our approaches to small debts.”
“It's about looking at the way that we can continue to build industry and do this for the nation. This is a nation-building exercise, and Labor is doing this. The other thing that I'd say is—we were talking about energy before. My day job before I was elected to the federal parliament was to give people energy advice. The cheapest form of energy is actually wind and solar.”
“Then they also brought railcar manufacturing to WA, and you know what? What a great idea. Federal Labor then came up with our vision for manufacturing—the National Reconstruction Fund—and we are imagining what we can do. Some people think that we used to make complex things. I hate to say it, the nerd in me—yes, I am a scientist and an engineer—knows we already do some really complex things. We came up with the idea of the cochlear implant, and we are manufacturing it. We came up with the technology for polymer banknotes. We are exporting it. Also—to be a total nerd—there's the Square Kilometre Array in Western Australia, where we're looking at the stars. It is incredibly impressive. But what I'm saying is we need to do more than that, and that is what the National Reconstruction Fund is about.”
“One of the reasons for that is that I remember being in WA 15 years ago when we had $170 billion worth of LNG projects happening in the North West Shelf and not one of those projects was being developed in WA. Hundreds of engineers lost their jobs, and the workshops were empty. At that time, it was a state Liberal government. They did not believe in local jobs, local manufacturing and looking at the way we could actually create industry, right? So what we next saw was a state Labor government, which decided they were into beautiful craftsmanship. There is a beautiful bridge called the Matagarup Bridge, out near the football stadium in Burswood. They were like, 'Should we build it overseas or locally?' We built it locally, and it is a stunning example of craftsmanship. I recommend that people go check it out.”
“What is this number—1,135,500? That's the number of jobs created under the federal Labor government since May 2022. How do you know if industry is strong? It's if people have jobs. Which government has created the most of jobs? It is the great Australian Labor Party. We do that because we back industry. But not only do we back industry; we're looking at jobs for the future. We are looking at jobs in 20, 30 and 40 years, and we are doing that by reimagining what the future of Australia looks like. We are doing that through the National Reconstruction Fund because when we diversify our economy we become more resilient. We have quality, secure jobs that can help people for decades to come. This is something that I am deeply passionate about.”
“I am proud to stand here as a member of the great Australian Labor Party. I am also the daughter of migrants. My dad was a metalworker. My dad worked on the workshop floors. In fact, my dad worked alongside Bobs, Garys, Vladimirs and Mohammeds because that's what manufacturing looked like 50 years ago. And guess what? When I go to the heart of Swan, that's what workshops look like today, but there are also more women. It's super exciting. Something that might be interesting to follow, for those at home and on the other side of the benches—the Labor Party has done so much work in this area. I have grown up in the mining industry. Growing up in the industry, one of the things you see is what happens when you have boom-bust economies. Do you know what happens? People lose their jobs, and jobs are very important.”
“Just when we thought that they were in the wilderness, who walks away? Their partner, the Nationals. And then we saw Senator Price's demotion from the frontbench, which was damage control, and frontbenchers still won't apologise to the Indian community despite our immense contribution. The member for Canning quit. The member for New England sabotages net zero, and they can't even agree whether climate change is real. Well, it is real. What a circus! Australians deserve better.”
“This is a federal Labor government that delivers. Not only do we deliver; we overdeliver. We promised 50 urgent care clinics. We delivered 87. In my electorate, every taxpayer got a tax cut. We're also taking another $150 off people's electricity bills this month. It's so exciting. Interest rates are down, student debt has been slashed by 20 per cent, and first home buyers can now access a five per cent deposit. Last week, in my electorate of Swan, we got to unveil the new Maniana Park in Queens Park, and, gosh, it is super fun. It is vibrant. Young, ambitious families are so excited to stay connected, and kids get to explore and create memories that will last a lifetime. Meanwhile, what have we been seeing on the opposite side of the House? We know that Dutton left devastating, nuclear-level destruction in the coalition.”
“We're reviewing our R&D system to make it more connected and more effective, because innovation drives productivity and resilience. The thing I believe about Australia is that not only do we have the ingenuity; we also have the resources. But we have to make sure that we have a government that backs manufacturing, backs workers and backs the resource sector.”
“With $500 million going through the Battery Breakthrough Initiative, WA can lead the way in supplying the world with clean energy storage using our critical minerals and renewable power. We're already seeing federal investment take shape in many exciting areas. Batteries are getting faster and safer and are lasting longer thanks to Australian innovation backed by this government. Some opposition MPs have described electric vehicles as soulless. I tell you, when you get behind an electric car and you feel the torque, not only does it have soul; it's got speed as well. We're not stopping there. The Industry Growth Program is helping over 1,000 local businesses scale up. Science and research are key as well. We've invested $14 billion in R&D this year, including $45 million to support CSIRO's world-class research.”
“The $500 Green Iron Investment Fund will help WA use its renewable energy and iron ore to produce green iron, cutting emissions and creating new job opportunities. Let's think about it—this is really smart. We've got amazing resources under the ground, as the mighty Minister for Resources has said before, but we've also got resources above the ground. It's about connecting these things together. Australia can play a really important role in the green iron industry. Also, it's not just about iron. It's also about aluminium. This goes along with our $2 billion in the green aluminium production credit to assist Australia's aluminium smelters as they transition. Battery manufacturing is another big win.”
“We're also setting up a critical minerals strategic reserve with $1.2 billion to make sure that Australia stays strong during market disruptions. This is a smart policy that is thinking about how we participate in global markets while protecting Australian jobs. This also includes national agreements and stockpiling to make sure that we look after our stockpiles. Let's talk about manufacturing. The National Reconstruction Fund is about backing a future made in Australia. Companies like Myriota are receiving federal support to grow satellite technology and create highly skilled jobs. It's about keeping talent and technology right here in Australia. We're also investing in green industries.”
“Speaking of the resources sector, it is the engine room of our economy, so much so that across Australia we see over 300,000 Australians working in mining. Their hard work helps with our national prosperity. WA is leading the way in critical minerals like lithium and rare earths—minerals that are essential for a clean energy transition. To support this, the Albanese government is investing $28 billion into the critical minerals sector. This includes $5 billion for the Critical Minerals Facility and $17 billion for the deduction tax credits. These funds will help Aussie businesses process minerals right here in Australia while creating secure, well-paid jobs, making us a key player in global supply chains.”
“I'd like to let the Federation Chamber know that the proud Australian Labor Party back workers, we back jobs and we do that by backing industry. That includes mining and manufacturing. We are doing this in buckets and spades. We believe in a future made in Australia with Australian industry, Australian innovation and Australian resources. And you know what? We haven't just learnt that manufacturing is fashionable, unlike some coalition backbenchers in recent history. This is something that we fundamentally believe. We believe it because we believe in a future made in Australia. It's not a slogan. It's backed by real investment, real jobs and real opportunities, especially for my state in Western Australia. I'm proud to be here with the Minister for Resources, who is also a proud Western Australian.”
“The committee has recommended that statements of compatibility prepared for future appropriation bills should contain an assessment of human rights compatibility. Such statements should address the overall trends in the progressive realisation of economic, social and cultural rights; the impact of budget measures on vulnerable groups; and key measures which engage human rights. In this report the committee also sought additional information from the relevant minister in relation to the human rights compatibility of four new bills and is awaiting further response from the Minister for Home Affairs in relation to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025. I encourage all members to consider the committee's report closely, and with these comments I commend the committee's scrutiny report No.”
“This is of particular concern to the committee given the significant human rights implications of this bill. As the bill has now passed, the committee draws these concerns to the attention of the minister and the parliament, and makes no further comment. The committee also concluded its consideration of the appropriation bills 2025-26. The committee's consistent position since 2013 is that appropriation bills facilitate the taking of actions which may affect the progressive realisation of, or failure to fulfil, Australia's obligations under international human rights law. The committee therefore considers that allocation of funds via appropriation bills may engage human rights and considers that appropriation bills are susceptible to a human rights assessment.”
“The committee also considers that the measure engages Australia's non-refoulement obligations; the prohibition against torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; and the right to an effective remedy. The committee further notes that the bill affects the outcome of a case currently pending before the High Court of Australia. There is a risk that this could constitute an impermissible interference with the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, an element of the right to a fair hearing. The committee notes that this bill has passed both houses of parliament in a short timeframe. This meant that the committee did not have adequate time to scrutinise the bill and seek further information from the minister in order to provide appropriate advice to the parliament as to the human rights compatibility of the bill.”
“These powers relate to the collection, use or disclosure of information; entering third-country reception arrangements; and issuing removal pathway directions to noncitizens. This committee previously commented on these powers when they were first introduced. The committee considered that these powers limited numerous human rights. In relation to this bill, the committee considers that the human rights concerns associated with the powers are likely exacerbated by disapplying the rules of natural justice to these powers. In particular, the committee considers that this measure engages and limits the right not to be expelled from a country without due process.”
“On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human rights scrutiny report: report 5 of 2025 . Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—I am pleased to present the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights' fifth scrutiny report of 2025. In this report, the committee has considered 29 new bills and 66 new legislative instruments. It has commented on eight bills and two legislative instruments and concluded its examination of four bills. In this report, the committee commented on the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025. This bill, now an act, removes the rules of natural justice in relation to the exercise of certain powers that facilitate the removal of noncitizens from Australia.”
“This was the second youth conference that I've hosted at the amazing Pawsey supercomputer centre. Behind us, machines were processing data from the stars. In front of us, young humans' minds were processing the future. I look forward to presenting these ideas to my ministerial colleagues. And I give a special thanks to my team; the young mentors and facilitators; Aditi, Mark and the Pawsey team; Senator Whiteaker and Senator Walker; and of course the amazing students themselves.”
“Mental health, housing, AI, social cohesion and the future of work—these are issues that year 11 students in my electorate tackled head-on at the Swan Young Changemakers Conference. Students brought bold, thoughtful ideas grounded in lived experience. They may be too young to vote, but they are not too young to be heard. To the delightful baby that we have in the gallery: you are never too young to be heard on the floor of the parliament! This is a generation that has a unique insight on known challenges, such as balancing good pay and pursuing your passion, and newer issues like having quality online content as opposed to 'AI generated slop' and making social media work for connection and social good, not advertisers' profits and social harm.”
“They have confined themselves to the bench in the game of the century. When they're not fighting amongst themselves, they're sending the member for New England out as a distracting mascot.”
“All funded projects will be required to share data insights, which will help accelerate innovation across the sector. Australia doesn't have to be the biggest manufacturing sector, but we can damn well try to be the smartest. This is a government that believes that, when Aussies put their heads together, we can solve problems with the best of them. This collaborative approach builds a stronger, faster, smarter and better industry. We're doing this because there is a race in the decarbonised economy. This is a race, and we're all in it together to win it—but will we? The opposition continues to undermine renewables. They can't support clean energy because of ideological purposes. They can't tell the difference between the nation's interests and the National Party's interests.”
“It promotes inclusive workforce development, supporting First Nations employment, gender equality and regional transition opportunities. Whether you want to call it stepping up, tooling up or powering up—either way, we are acting because we want to compete in the global supply chain. As these companies show, projects must demonstrate their readiness for deployment with technologies at TRL 6 or higher. That means that the system process has a prototype demonstrating itself in an operational environment as the minimum. We are backing scalable, real-world solutions that reduce emissions and grow the economy. For those supposed competition hawks on the other side—they always forget one of the economic keys to competition, and that is the flow of information and data.”
“We have Sicona, with their breakthrough new materials that increase both the driving range and charging speed of electric vehicles. Then we have Gelion, producing non-flammable zinc-bromide batteries ideal for remote, hot environments. Non-flammable battery chemistries are needed to improve safety in Australian heat. This was explored during the electric vehicle inquiry. Gelion received $4.8 million in ARENA funding, with around matched funding to support their advanced commercial prototyping centres. We are proud to be backing companies like this. New industry will create value and share it better than ever. The initiative applies community benefit principles to ensure that investment reaches local communities, ensuring private and public investment flows to create real jobs right here in Australia.”
“In my first speech, I described to the House the six steps required to make a battery: first, mining the raw materials; then processing the materials; then, of course, manufacturing the battery components; assembling those components; and, finally, installation and maintenance. I spoke with the hope that, if we could do all six of these steps, including manufacturing, it would help create a competitive export industry as well as high-quality jobs. This initiative will provide targeted funding to help manufacturers produce high-value battery products and scale up operations. I'm pleased to say that Australian companies actually have form already in this exciting space—for example, Feline Industries, which is solving battery safety challenges for the defence and maritime sectors.”
“I rise today as the mover of this motion to commend the Albanese Labor government's $500 million Battery Breakthrough Initiative. This a vital step, one of many, in picking up the pace for the Future Made in Australia race. It is one step closer, as we move in the right direction towards our goal of setting the National Battery Strategy. This ambitious target for 2035 is about Australia becoming a globally competitive producer of batteries and battery materials. This will leverage our natural advantages—our abundant critical minerals below the ground and our abundant renewable energy above the ground—and, of course, our skilled people. Building future export industries and strengthening our economic resilience, this initiative supports that goal by investing in manufacturing capability, innovation and workforce development.”