Senate

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister rejected the premise that the net zero target was harmful, attributing the opposition's stance to ideological obsessions rather than economic reality. He disputed the claim that Rio Tinto's workforce reductions were linked to government energy policy, stating that the company had decided to redeploy all workers involved to support future facility capabilities and waste management. He asserted that the changes were unrelated to emissions or energy policy and encouraged workers to engage with unions and the government rather than the opposition.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister listed several recent legislative achievements, including a 20 per cent reduction in student debt for over 512,000 students and apprentices, protection of penalty rates and overtime pay, and an extension of paid parental leave by two weeks. She highlighted investments in Medicare, including bulk-billing incentives and the expansion of urgent care clinics, and announced that PBS prescription costs would fall to $25 for general patients and $7.70 for concession card holders starting 1 January 2026. Regarding wages, she noted that the government was delivering income tax cuts and wage increases for aged-care workers, while contrasting this with the opposition's alleged support for low wages. On energy, she emphasised policy certainty and supply additions to ensure affordable electricity.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated that the government was negotiating in good faith with states and had offered an additional $20 billion in hospital funding over five years, bringing total Commonwealth funding to $215 billion. She explained that the correspondence referred to these negotiations and the need for states to ensure their health systems were efficient. Regarding aged care, she acknowledged the pressure on hospitals due to insufficient aged-care services and attributed this partly to previous government cuts of $2.5 billion. She confirmed that the government aimed to finalise the National Cabinet agreement signed in December 2023, which linked increased Commonwealth funding to reasonable limits on annual cost growth.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister denied that fossil fuel addiction was the reason for withdrawing the bid, stating that the decision was made in close consultation with Pacific leaders to ensure their voices were amplified. She explained that the withdrawal was necessary to break an impasse under UNFCCC rules that would have delayed the election of the COP president. She highlighted achievements such as securing a pre-COP in the Pacific and pledges for the Pacific Resilience Facility. Regarding the fossil fuel roadmap, she stated that the Australian position had not changed and that the transition required policy delivery rather than symbolic gestures, while dismissing accusations as inconsistent.

Answer from Katy Gallagher

The minister stated that the IMF report was a powerful endorsement of the government's approach, noting that inflation had fallen to a third of its peak, debt was down, and real wages were growing. She highlighted that over 1.2 million jobs had been created and contrasted the current situation with the deficits and high inflation inherited from the previous government. She confirmed that annual real wages had grown for eight consecutive quarters, with the wage price index up 3.4 per cent over the year. She emphasised that the government was supporting wage increases across both market and non-market sectors to address inequality and ensure workers shared in economic benefits.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister explained that the changes were part of a strategic review to align CSIRO research with national science priorities, noting that the government allocated close to $1 billion annually to the organisation. He stated that the reprioritisation aimed to strengthen areas such as climate adaptation, zoonotic disease, and landscape pests, which were critical for future resilience. He acknowledged the difficulty of the process for passionate scientists but insisted it was necessary to ensure the CSIRO was fit for purpose. He encouraged young Australians to pursue careers in science, emphasising the importance of a strong national science institution for climate, energy, and economic security.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister argued that the government's plan was the cheapest way to modernise the electricity system and contrasted it with the opposition's past policy failures. He cited the CEO of the Australian Energy Council, who stated that a highly renewable system supported by gas and storage would deliver the lowest cost outcome and that keeping coal open longer would likely increase costs. He asserted that the opposition's approach was more extreme and likely to lead to disinvestment and higher bills, while the government's plan was cheaper, more responsible, and more reliable.

Answer from Murray Watt

The minister stated that the government supported a non-discriminatory immigration policy and did not rule people out based on faith, race, or country of origin. He argued that the common feature of the listed countries was that they were war-torn and that people were fleeing for safety reasons. He denied that the government was cherry-picking UN guidance or excluding Christians, and he predicted that the opposition would eventually adopt similar restrictive immigration policies.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister stated that the government was pursuing the lowest-cost approach to building a reliable electricity system, which was in the interest of industry and jobs. He noted that foreign investors were subject to normal scrutiny through the foreign investment framework. He reiterated that relying on Australian solar and wind was in the interest of energy security and expressed confidence in the foreign investment framework to manage any risks associated with foreign investment.

Answer from Murray Watt

The minister stated that the reforms would create a national Environmental Protection Agency, establish National Environmental Standards, and include a net gain principle. He explained that the reforms aimed to remove duplication in federal and state approvals, reducing project approval times from a median of 118 weeks to faster timelines. He argued that passing the reforms was critical to speed up the delivery of homes, renewables, and other economic projects, and that delaying them would result in further environmental degradation and continued project delays. He urged the Senate to pass the reforms that week.