Zaneta Mascarenhas MP
House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra
Bills – Future Made in Australia Bill 2024, Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024 – Second Reading
It is a pleasure to stand here as the proud Labor member for Swan, as someone who has probably more than 15 years of experience working in the corporate sector and as someone who started her career in steelcap boots on a mine site. And I would say that the Albanese Labor government fundamentally understands what we need to do for our country, what we need to do for organisations and companies, and what we need to do for workers—and that is exactly what the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 does. So, I am thrilled to be talking here, not just as the daughter of a metalworker, not just as an engineer, but as a proud Australian. And I'm a proud Australian who knows what we are capable of.
This bill is not just about vision; this is about tangible actions, and we have the ability to seize the moment right here. Our goal is clear. To put it simply, we want Australians in good, secure jobs building things right here in Australia. This is not a dream. This is the cornerstone of Labor's Future Made in Australia Bill. This is a pivotal moment in our history. The world is undergoing the biggest industrial transformation it has seen since the industrial revolution, and this comes with both opportunities and significant risks.
It is important for this parliament to recognise that the global movement towards net zero is part of a changing world. We have the ability to either seize the moment and embrace the opportunities or, alternatively, be left behind. By building a more diverse and strong economy powered by clean energy and by creating secure, well-paid jobs, Australia can stay an important player in the global economy during this transition. If we do nothing, Australia risks being left behind. Australian workers will lose, and Australia will lose, but, let's be honest, the world will lose. The pathway to net zero emissions runs right through our backyard.
As the Prime Minister said back in April, there is a race on for jobs and opportunity, it is a global race and Australia must be in it to win it. We must be in it to win it, because, if we don't—if we fail to act now—we won't even reach the finish line. The race will be over before we get started, and that's exactly what would happen if we left it to the coalition. For a decade, when it came to manufacturing, we stood still and then we started moving backwards. We are bearing the cost of that lack of vision and the lack of action by the coalition. We need to seize this moment.
We can lead the charge, ensuring that our industries thrive and that secure, well-paid jobs are created, not just in our big cities but also in our regional and industrial heartlands. Australia can't have a resilient economy if we only rely on sheep, wheat and dirt. By going up the value chain and when we sell our exports for more, we also increase the complexity of our commodities and our export markets. What this also means is that we have more secure jobs and we are less vulnerable to the changes in commodity prices. Let's be honest: this has real, tangible impacts in people's families and in their homes. What it is about is job security.
My dad was a proud fitter and turner. He probably picked up his trade when he was 16 years old. He worked for more than four decades as a proud tradesperson. My parents, out of all the countries in the world, moved to Australia and ended up in Kalgoorlie. My dad ended up at Kambalda, a nickel mining town. The thing that I know we've seen is that, when commodity prices go down, people lose their jobs en masse. My heart goes out to the nickel workers that are experiencing this right at this moment.
What we need to do as a nation is actually increase the value of what we sell so we can actually sell our products for more and have more secure jobs. This is something that's really important to people all across Australia, including the people in my electorate of Swan. These are people who rely on manufacturing for their livelihoods. A secure job for them and their children is what is important to thousands of people who work in manufacturing in my electorate. The 2021 census data revealed that over 4,000 people are directly employed by manufacturing in Swan. That's workers and their families who are reliant on a thriving and prosperous industry for their security and their future.
These are workers like the steel fabricators who work at Phoenix Metalform in Welshpool, an industrial suburb in my electorate of Swan. Phoenix Metalform is one of Australia's leading providers of sheet-metal building products and sheet-metal fabrication in Perth, in Western Australia. The team at Phoenix Metalform use innovative technologies to manufacture high-quality products in the heart of Swan. These are the bread and butter of our manufacturing base, and I am here to support them.
This government believes in a future made in Australia. That belief drives us to act swiftly, putting in place programs and reforms that will diversify our economy, build sovereign capability and create a pipeline of well-paid jobs now and into the future. The focus of the Albanese government is on supporting more businesses like Phoenix Metalform to invest, grow and innovate. We have faith in Australian ideas, Australian workers, Australian scientists and Australian businesses. We need to make more things here. We know that we can make more things here. We are a smart country. We are also a hardworking country. We know that we have all the right ingredients that we need right here—our people, our capability and our natural resources—to compete with the best in the world.
The Future Made in Australia legislation is designed to unlock private sector investment, building a stronger, more diversified and resilient economy, powered by renewables. The bill represents the largest pro-manufacturing package in Australian history. It has been crafted to ensure that Australia captures the benefits of the massive shifts happening globally. At the heart of this package is the new National Interest Framework, which is a robust sector assessment process. It's in the bill in order to help the Australian government make smart public investments that trigger large-scale private investment for the benefit of the country. It is designed to evaluate industries that can significantly cut emissions at good costs where Australia could lead the way in the long term. It also focuses on sectors where building up local expertise is the key to keeping our economy strong and secure.
Also, at the heart of this bill is the establishment of the community benefit principles that will guide all Future Made in Australia initiatives. These principles will be used to boost investment in local communities, support Australian industries, strengthen supply chains and develop skills. They also aim to promote diverse workforces, secure jobs and ensure that tax laws are indeed followed. Decision-makers will apply these principles to every Future Made in Australia initiative and make sure that they are enforced properly, including those detailed in the plan. These measures will ensure that our investments align with our national interest, particularly in critical areas such as solar panels and battery supply chains. We will invest heavily in these sectors under the economic resilience and security stream of the Future Made in Australia Bill because it in our national interest to do so.
This legislation isn't just about the big end of town; it's about working hand in hand with the supply chain, with small and medium enterprises and with engineering firms that employ apprentices and tradies, the very people who do the hard work in the sector. It's about ensuring these industries have the initiatives they need to deliver good local jobs particularly in industrial centres where resources and energy capabilities are strong. Australia's history as a resource powerhouse gives us a unique advantage as we move into this economy. If you think about it, we have the resources above the ground, with our amazing solar resources and our wind resources, but we also have the geological resources below the ground.
As 97 per cent of our trading partners move to net zero emissions, Australia must adjust or risk falling behind. If we get it right and adopt a Future Made in Australia approach, we can capture this advantage, lift up the value chain and secure our place as a renewable energy superpower. I am excited to see the interest in hydrogen and low-cost renewable energy for the industry. I realise that those opposite think the hydrogen industry is maybe a joke or fake news. Let me tell you that it is not. It is really important that we have a look at this, because what we're looking at is energy density for us to be able to move heavy industries such as mining trucks. Who knows what the possibilities are for this? But we need to look at net-zero emission possibilities to continue our resource sector.
The Albanese government is committed to working with businesses and industry to deliver the best outcome for local communities, starting in places such as Gladstone. Our legislation is clear and carefully outlined. At its core it introduces production tax credits for firms that manufacture within the scope of the scheme. This is actually smart practice. This is pretty exciting. Industry is very excited to hear about it, and I can tell you that Western Australian companies are very excited about it. This is the way the world is moving. Whether it's critical mineral processing, iron processing or steel production, eligible firms will receive tax credits when they produce here in Australia. This is a crucial step in moving Australia up the value chain and creating good jobs in our regions and outer suburbs.
This is a government that believes in a future made in Australia. I think of the history of the resource sector. We have managed to achieve innovation and capability in some of the harshest conditions in the world. Being able to solve technical problems and work out how you liberate minerals in a really remote and isolated community is tough, but we worked out how to do that. And you know what? The complex challenges that we have facing us are tricky, but I have faith that Australia has the capability to solve them.
I commend the government's commitment to build a future made in Australia, a future with a strong and diverse economy and a future that provides greater opportunity and job security for everyone, not just a few. I call on everyone in this House to get behind Australia's manufacturing future and support the creation of more secure, well-paid jobs. Failing to do so means more of the same. It means going backwards, not forwards, where we need to be going. Together we can build a future where our economy is stronger, our communities are thriving and our jobs are secure and well paid. This is why I commend the bill to the House, and I encourage members in the House to all get behind it.
