The government is a strong supporter of the export of live animals from Australia because it does support thousands of Australians in this country. There are not just jobs for those on farm who might manage sheep or cattle but also, importantly, thousands of other jobs for truck drivers, for helicopter pilots Read more

I think the CEO of Adani, Lucas Dow, summed it up well: On a personal level, my old man was an interstate truck driver. It has always struck me how hard he worked to give us a go and how well remunerated I have been as a result of the opportunities he and the mining industry have afforded me. That was all on the back of the Bowen Basin coal industry being opened up. I started work in the coal industry at the Goonyella mine. I am a parochial Queenslander and I really want to see this get up. This is personal, there is a personal drive there. Read more

Last week, the Queensland Coordinator-General approved a new coalmine in North Queensland, the Macmines China Stone project, a $6.7 billion investment that would create 3,800 jobs in construction and 3,300 jobs in operation. It would help boost the Queensland economy by $1½ billion a year when it's in operation, and, very importantly, it would generate almost $190 million a year in royalties for the Queensland government, helping to fund better schools, better hospitals and better public services right throughout Queensland, in particular in North Queensland. Read more

I thank the Senate for the opportunity to speak on a very important issue in the Australian oil and gas industry and what it contributes to our country, and why it deserves a commonsense approach to its regulation and oversight. Read more

The government will not be supporting this motion. It won't be supporting this motion, because, as was clearly outlined in Senator Whish-Wilson's contribution, this is not an inquiry that is being established to get to the bottom of the best science on these very important matters. It is not an inquiry to do a consultation in good faith. It is an inquiry that is intending to try and shut down a very important Australian industry. That's the objective of the Australian Greens. Read more

This week one of our nation's largest LNG processing facilities will be officially opened. Shipments from the IMPEX Ichthys project started a couple of weeks ago, and this week we look forward to welcoming the Japanese Prime Minister, other Japanese officials and IMPEX officials to officially open the IMPEX project. Read more

We have a very strong relationship with our Pacific neighbours. Indeed, it's a relationship that this government is continuing to invest in. In the past week, we have made very significant announcements and investments in regard to strengthening that relationship with our Pacific neighbours, including by establishing funds for infrastructure in Pacific regions. Read more

Gas prices have fallen this year, compared to last, across the Australian east coast. Indeed, right now, I'm advised that the gas price in Wallumbilla, which is a hub for gas prices in Australia, near Roma, is $8.55 a gigajoule. That compares to the price when it peaked, in February last year, of $12.49 a gigajoule. It's a reduction of 22½ per cent over that period. Read more

I'm advised that Gretals had applied for a bridging grant under the Global Connections Fund in 2017. The fund is administered on behalf of the government by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.  Read more

The government has taken action to reduce energy prices: because we want to protect jobs, particularly in our manufacturing sector. We want to help households lower their budgets and ensure they can balance those budget every year, and we are already taking action to do that. We have, for the first time, introduced regulations that allow the Australian government to restrict the exports of gas from Australia to ensure there is sufficient gas here domestically. Read more