Manufacturing & Industry

Summaries in reported speech - not a transcript.

• Steel Industry

  House of Representatives · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Tom Venning Liberal

  The member asked why the Prime Minister would not visit Whyalla to face workers who had lost jobs under the government's industrial policy.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Sovereign Capability

  Senate · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Deborah O'Neill ALP

  The senator asked how the government is securing a future made in Australia and helping industry invest and grow.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Whyalla Steelworks

  Senate · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Matthew Canavan LNP

  The senator asked how the government could claim net zero policies create secure jobs when 500 workers are losing jobs and sovereign capacity is at risk. In supplementary questions, he asked if Australia would retain the...

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Whyalla Steelworks

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Tom Venning Liberal

  The member asked why the government was spending significant funds on international climate conferences while providing limited financial support to workers affected by the steelworks closure.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Manufacturing Industry

  Senate · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Kerrynne Liddle Liberal

  The member asked whether the government could deliver more than industrial destruction and job losses, citing the closure of Whyalla alongside other facilities like Tomago and Bell Bay, despite previous commitments to se...

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Taxation

  Senate · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Susan McDonald Nationals

  The senator asked when the government would abolish the safeguards tax and remove regulatory shackles from the industrial sector, arguing that the tax contributed to the facility's failure.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Fuel Security

  House of Representatives · Thursday 10 September 2026 · Dan Repacholi ALP

  The member asked the Minister representing the Minister for Industry how the gas reservation policy would power jobs and manufacturing, and why this was important after a decade of neglect.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Manufacturing Industry

  Senate · Wednesday 19 August 2026 · Deborah O'Neill ALP

  The senator asked the minister to explain how the government's manufacturing investments, including the Tomago Aluminium project, contribute to national resilience and create well-paid jobs in regional areas.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Tomago Aluminium

  Senate · Thursday 13 August 2026 · Tony Sheldon ALP

  The member asked about the significance of the $2.5 billion joint investment to secure the site's future beyond 2028 and its importance for national resilience.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Aluminium Industry

  Senate · Thursday 13 August 2026 · Deborah O'Neill ALP

  The member asked how the investment would strengthen job security for Hunter workers and the local economy, and what it meant for Australia's manufacturing capability.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Sovereign Capability

  House of Representatives · Thursday 13 August 2026 · Sharon Claydon ALP

  The member asked how the government was backing the workforce and manufacturing industry and whether there had been any responses.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry

  Senate · Thursday 13 August 2026 · Helen Polley ALP

  The member asked how the government is working with industry and international partners to build sovereign critical minerals capabilities and secure supply chains.

  Answered by Don Farrell

• Tomago Aluminium

  House of Representatives · Thursday 13 August 2026 · Dan Repacholi ALP

  The member asked how the plan would support local jobs and manufacturing capability, and how it compared to other approaches.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Manufacturing Industry

  Senate · Thursday 25 June 2026 · Raff Ciccone ALP

  The member asked what actions the government was taking to strengthen the manufacturing industry and support businesses facing global supply chain pressures. He specifically asked about the Economic Resilience Program.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Economy

  House of Representatives · Thursday 4 June 2026 · Andrew Willcox LNP

  The member asked the Prime Minister to admit that his economic strategy had failed, citing comments that living standards had gone backwards.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Defence

  House of Representatives · Thursday 28 May 2026 · Lisa Chesters ALP

  The member asked how the government was providing defence capabilities and building a local defence industry.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Oil and Gas Exploration

  Senate · Monday 30 March 2026 · Pauline Hanson One Nation

  The member asked whether the government would pledge to restart full-time oil and gas exploration and establish a sovereign oil and petroleum manufacturing industry.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Fertiliser

  Senate · Thursday 26 March 2026 · Jana Stewart ALP

  The member asked for an update on the status of Australia's fertiliser market amidst global supply chain disruptions. She sought to understand how the government was ensuring national resilience in this sector.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 25 March 2026 · Rowan Holzberger ALP

  The member asked how the government was implementing its plan to ensure a future produced in Australia and strengthen sovereign capability, and what risks threatened these priorities.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Monday 23 March 2026 · Matt Burnell ALP

  The member asked about the federal government's collaboration with South Australia to support Whyalla steelworkers and the significance of this for sovereign manufacturing.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Rural, Regional and Remote Australia

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 11 March 2026 · Matt Smith ALP

  The member asked how the government was building a future made in Australia to create jobs and boost regional economies, and how this compared to other approaches.

  Answered by Madeleine King

• Renewable Energy

  Senate · Thursday 6 November 2025 · Varun Ghosh ALP

  The member asked the minister to provide examples of industrial investments driven by cleaner energy and to confirm that coal power was too expensive to support aluminium smelters.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 5 November 2025 · Jess Teesdale ALP

  The member asked how the government's energy approach was securing the future of Australian manufacturing and jobs, and what risks existed.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Iron Ore Industry

  Senate · Wednesday 5 November 2025 · Fatima Payman Australia's Voice

  The member asked what funding the federal government had set aside for shared facilities at Geraldton port to support green iron investment in Western Australia.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Energy

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 4 November 2025 · Kevin Hogan Nationals

  The member asked why the Tomago smelter could not secure affordable future energy prices if renewable energy was cheaper.

  Answered by Chris Bowen

• Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry

  Senate · Thursday 30 October 2025 · Jessica Collins Liberal

  The member asked whether the future of Australian manufacturing looked like job losses and closures, given the threat to Tomago Aluminium. She questioned the effectiveness of the government's industrial policy.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Tasmania: Manufacturing Industry

  Senate · Thursday 30 October 2025 · Tammy Tyrrell Ind

  The member asked whether the government would commit to funding to keep the Bell Bay aluminium smelter open. She highlighted the smelter's importance to the Tasmanian economy.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Energy

  Senate · Thursday 30 October 2025 · Matthew Canavan LNP

  The member asked when the government would admit that its renewable energy targets were destroying manufacturing jobs. He questioned the viability of the energy transition.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Energy

  Senate · Tuesday 28 October 2025 · Matthew Canavan LNP

  The senator asked why the Tomago aluminium smelter could not secure affordable future energy prices if renewable energy is cheaper, citing the CEO's concerns about commercial viability. He followed up by quoting a Jamest...

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 8 October 2025 · Matt Smith ALP

  The member asked how the government was working with Queensland to protect regional jobs and strengthen Australia's copper capability.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• South Australia: Marine Environment

  Senate · Thursday 28 August 2025 · Andrew McLachlan DPRES

  The member asked when the South Australian government first officially raised the algal bloom issue with the federal government. He followed up by asking when the Prime Minister would provide the level of support request...

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Defence Procurement

  House of Representatives · Thursday 28 August 2025 · Tom French ALP

  The member asked how the decision on new frigates helps build a future made in Australia and keeps Australians safe, and why this was important after a wasted decade.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry

  House of Representatives · Monday 25 August 2025 · Andrew Willcox LNP

  The member asked if the minister could confirm that smelters were in crisis or seeking bailouts due to high energy costs.

  Answered by Pat Conroy

• Critical and Strategic Minerals Industry

  House of Representatives · Thursday 31 July 2025 · Bob Katter KAP

  The member asked the Prime Minister to intervene to prevent the closure of the Mount Isa copper smelter and to initiate a gas reserve policy to protect the local fertilizer plant.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Critical Minerals Industry

  Senate · Wednesday 30 July 2025 · Matthew Canavan LNP

  The member asked if the minister agreed that high energy prices risk union jobs at manufacturing smelters. He noted reports of potential production pauses and job losses at Mount Isa and Townsville, asking if the governm...

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Energy

  Senate · Tuesday 29 July 2025 · Raff Ciccone ALP

  The member asked how the government planned to build on its approach of supporting renewable energy to deliver more clean and affordable electricity. He also asked how the government intended to capitalize on Australia's...

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Resources Sector

  House of Representatives · Monday 28 July 2025 · Sam Lim ALP

  The member asked how the government was building a future made in Australia by supporting the resources sector.

  Answered by Madeleine King

• Middle East: Defence Exports

  House of Representatives · Thursday 24 July 2025 · Helen Haines Ind

  The member asked the Minister for Defence to guarantee that Australia was not involved in war crimes in Gaza by manufacturing or exporting weapons to Israel.

  Answered by Richard Marles

• Critical Minerals Industry

  Senate · Thursday 24 July 2025 · Susan McDonald Nationals

  The senator asked why workers at the Mount Isa copper smelter and Townsville refinery were not receiving similar government support.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Metals Industry

  Senate · Wednesday 23 July 2025 · Glenn Sterle ALP

  The senator asked for an update on negotiations with Commonwealth and state governments regarding the future of Australian smelters. He followed up by asking about the causes of challenges in the sector and the governmen...

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Critical Minerals Industry: Liberty Bell Bay

  Senate · Tuesday 25 March 2025 · Jacqui Lambie JLN

  The member asked what specific measures the government would take to protect the Liberty Bell Bay smelter and its 260 workers from being sold off.

  Answered by Don Farrell

• Coalmining Industry

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 25 March 2025 · Michelle Landry Nationals

  The member asked the Minister to confirm how many coal mining approvals she had granted since taking office.

  Answered by Tanya Plibersek

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 25 March 2025 · Louise Miller-Frost ALP

  The member asked what the government was doing to boost manufacturing and what risks threatened Australian industry.

  Answered by Ed Husic

• Trade with the United States of America

  Senate · Thursday 13 February 2025 · Fatima Payman Ind

  The senator asked if the government had contacted the Trump administration regarding the steel and aluminium tariffs and what the plan was to protect Western Australian jobs if an exemption was not secured.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Future Made in Australia

  Senate · Tuesday 11 February 2025 · Raff Ciccone ALP

  The senator asked how the passage of the bill contributes to delivering a better future for workers, businesses, and communities by unlocking national prosperity.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Future Made in Australia

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 11 February 2025 · Fiona Phillips ALP

  The member asked how the Future Made in Australia plan was creating secure jobs and whether any alternative approaches would harm the manufacturing sector.

  Answered by Ed Husic

• Future Made in Australia

  Senate · Tuesday 11 February 2025 · Louise Pratt ALP

  The senator asked how the government is creating secure, well-paid manufacturing jobs to strengthen the economy and deliver a future made in Australia, particularly in Western Australia.

  Answered by Don Farrell

• Resources Industry, Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 11 February 2025 · Meryl Swanson ALP

  The member asked how the government was supporting resources and manufacturing industries and whether alternative approaches would harm people.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• United States of America

  House of Representatives · Monday 10 February 2025 · Kevin Hogan Nationals

  The member asked what steps Ambassador Rudd had taken to secure an exemption for Australia from the new tariffs, noting that the Coalition had secured an exemption in 2018.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Aluminium Industry

  House of Representatives · Thursday 6 February 2025 · Meryl Swanson ALP

  The member asked how the government was securing jobs in the aluminium industry and if other policies would leave workers worse off.

  Answered by Ed Husic

• Manufacturing Industry

  Senate · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Leah Blyth (SA) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  Senators debated a motion of public importance regarding the decline of Australian manufacturing, specifically citing the permanent closure of the Whyalla blast furnace and the suspension of operations at Liberty Bell Ba...

• Answers to Questions

  Senate · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Dave Sharma (NSW) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  Senators debated the government's responses to questions regarding housing market conditions and industrial policy. Coalition senators argued that Labor's policies were causing a housing crisis through reduced supply and...

• Whyalla Steelworks

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Sam Birrell (Nicholls) (National Party) Nationals

  The debate centred on the impact of the Whyalla Steelworks closure and the broader implications for Australia's heavy manufacturing sector. Sam Birrell argued that the government's reliance on intermittent renewable ener...

• Energy

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Dan Tehan (Wannon) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  The debate centred on the closure of the Whyalla steelworks and the loss of over 600 jobs, with opposition members criticising the government for broken promises and high energy costs driven by renewable energy policies....

• Sovereign Capability

  House of Representatives · Monday 14 September 2026 · Rowan Holzberger (Forde) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The debate centred on a motion moved by the Australian Labor Party to commend the government's Future Made in Australia agenda and the National Reconstruction Fund. Labor members argued that targeted government investmen...

• Combatting Illicit Tobacco Bill 2026; Consideration in Detail

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 19 August 2026 · Sophie Scamps (Mackellar) (Independent) Ind

  The debate centred on an amendment moved by Sophie Scamps to ban the importation of tobacco manufacturing equipment unless explicit permission was granted. Scamps argued this would disrupt illicit production upstream and...

• Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medicines Shortages and Other Measures) Bill 2026, Therapeutic Goods (Charges) Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 11 August 2026 · Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  The debate focused on legislation aimed at improving early warning systems for medicine shortages and streamlining the registration of biologic medicines. The Shadow Minister for Women supported the bill's technical impr...

• Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Local Industry Preference) Bill 2026; Second Reading

  House of Representatives · Monday 29 June 2026 · Dai Le (Fowler) (Independent) Ind

  The debate concerned a private member's bill to amend Commonwealth procurement rules to prioritise Australian manufacturing. The member for Fowler argued that current government spending on future industries neglected tr...

• Plastic Waste

  House of Representatives · Monday 29 June 2026 · Sophie Scamps (Mackellar) (Independent) Ind

  The debate centred on a motion calling for the immediate implementation of a mandatory national Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for plastics under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020. Independent members S...

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Monday 22 June 2026 · Andrew Willcox (Dawson) (Liberal National Party) LNP

  The debate centred on a motion moved by the Coalition to address the decline of Australian manufacturing, attributing it to high energy costs, regulatory burdens, and unfair foreign competition. Coalition members argued ...

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 26 May 2026 · Matt Gregg (Deakin) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  Matt Gregg raised the importance of supporting Australian manufacturing to ensure national resilience, particularly in healthcare and agriculture. He highlighted DentaLife, a local producer of medical hygiene wipes, argu...

• Sovereign Capability

  Senate · Tuesday 24 March 2026 · Matt O'Sullivan (WA) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  The debate centred on a motion of urgency regarding the government's management of fertiliser supply risks amid global conflict and domestic plant outages. Opposition members argued that the government had failed to secu...

• Tomago Aluminium, Paterson Electorate: Maitland Flyover

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 4 November 2025 · Meryl Swanson (Paterson) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  Meryl Swanson raised concerns about the potential closure of the Tomago Aluminium smelter and the incomplete Maitland flyover. She attributed these issues to a decade of policy failure and neglect by the former Coalition...

• United States-Australia Framework for Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths

  House of Representatives · Monday 3 November 2025 · Matt Burnell (Spence) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The House debated a motion acknowledging the signing of the US-Australia critical minerals framework during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington DC. Government members argued the agreement strengthens supply chain re...

• Manufacturing Industry

  House of Representatives · Thursday 9 October 2025 · David Littleproud (Maranoa) (National Party) Nationals

  The debate centred on the viability of Australian manufacturing under the current government's energy and industrial policies. Opposition members argued that high energy costs, a reliance on renewables, and regulatory bu...

• Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025; Second Reading

  Senate · Thursday 4 September 2025 · Matthew Canavan (QLD) (Liberal National Party) LNP

  Senator Matthew Canavan moved the second reading of the Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025, arguing that Australia's net zero commitments have harmed the economy and industries. He claimed that high energy prices resulting from t...

• Agriculture Industry

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 3 September 2025 · Andrew Wallace (Fisher) (Liberal National Party) LNP

  The debate centred on the state of Australia's agricultural industry, with speakers highlighting concerns over government policies affecting farmers. The lead speaker acknowledged the importance of agriculture in his ele...

• Battery Industry

  House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The House debated a motion moved by the Labor Party commending the government's $500 million Battery Breakthrough Initiative, which aims to boost domestic battery manufacturing through grants administered by ARENA. Labor...

• Answers to Questions

  Senate · Thursday 28 August 2025 · Leah Blyth (South Australia) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  Senators debated the government's responses to questions regarding housing construction figures and energy policy. The Opposition criticised the administration for low housing output, rising electricity costs, and potent...

• Newcastle Electorate

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 11 February 2025 · Sharon Claydon (Newcastle) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  Sharon Claydon outlined the Albanese Labor government's record in Newcastle, highlighting job creation, infrastructure investment, and cost-of-living relief. She detailed specific projects including a net zero manufactur...