The Point Live: Coalition net zero fight looming. As it happened.

In very Coalition areas, they eventually get to the point of linking the Tomago troubles to “Labor’s energy policy’ as if Australia’s energy issues happened suddenly over the last three and a bit years.

I am old enough to have been reporting on this stuff during the Coalition years, and there were warnings about Tomago and other closures, then. Why? Because energy prices are f*cked and it is not helping anyone, and that’s been something that has happened over decades, not years.

Pat Conroy takes this one and says:

In terms of other industry policies, we won’t be lectured on support for the aluminium sector by the Liberal Party. Let’s remind people what’s happened over the last few years. In 2014, when the last aluminium smelter was being considered for closure – which was Point Henry – what did those opposite do? They did nothing.

They didn’t engage with Alcoa. They didn’t engage with the Victorian government. In fact, they cheered the closure of that smelter. Joe Hockey – then Treasurer – said that we shouldn’t be despondent about the closure of the Alcoa facility. I tabled a news article quoting Joe Hockey saying that we shouldn’t be despondent about those jobs going. Almost 1,000 jobs went. Those opposite did nothing about it. In fact, they actively cheered it on.

..As I was saying, we’ve range of policies to strengthen and grow the aluminium supply chain. From fixing mining approvals while protecting the environment, securing affordable gas for alumina refineries through the gas market review, and backing our smelters with the green aluminium production credit.

We’re going to keep working on this, and we’ve got to keep working with Rio and the state government to explore every option.

Unlike those opposite, we don’t cheer when manufacturing jobs go overseas. ) We don’t dare them to leave. We fight for manufacturing jobs every day, we back Aussie workers, unlike those opposite, whose election policy was based on Tomago being closed down. That’s what they think about manufacturing in this country. We get up, we fight for aluminium jobs every day, like we fight for every manufacturing job – unlike those opposite.

Milton Dick acknowledged the Australian actors and creatives in the gallery who are watching QT after their press conference with members of the crossbench, who have launched a petition asking people to ‘save Australian stories’ by urging the government to follow through on its commitment to create local content creators. When the Speaker officially acknowledges you, you can take photos of the gallery (you can’t take photos before then, which is why when there is a protest, we often can’t show it to you)

(While the actors are very welcome, the real start of this shot from Mike Bowers is the kids, particularly those in the top row. Tag yourself.)

Zali Steggall said:

The screen industry has shrunk by about 60% because of the lack of investment in local stories, putting about 55,000 jobs at risk,” Steggall said. “Streaming platforms use the NBN, which is paid for by Australian taxpayers, to deliver their content. But the international streamers pay very little tax. We are asking for 20% of Australian streaming revenue to be reinvested in local stories.”

You can find the petition, here.

Jim Chalmers then takes a dixer on the ACCC’s action against Microsoft (which he has to talk about in the broad, because of the court case)

Yesterday, the ACCC launched legal proceedings in the Federal Court against Microsoft for allegedly misleading about 2.7 million Australians when communicating subscription options and price increases after it integrated its AI assistant Copilot into Microsoft 360 plans.

Since 31 October last year, Microsoft told subscribers it would renew subscriptions and customers would need to either accept it or cancel their subscription.

The ACCC alleges this was false and misleading because a third option wasn’t disclosed. Whether it’s the regulators or this government, we take these sorts of developments very seriously. This case is currently before the courts and, for that reason, I won’t comment on the specifics.

But I will say this. There is no place for dodgy and deceptive behaviour like that being alleged in this case. If it’s proven that this has happened, it amounts to deception on an industrial scale. This week, the regulator has sent a powerful message to tech companies – we won’t let Australians be treated like mugs.

Independent MP Andrew Gee asks about the future of cash. On this, he and Bob Katter are on a unity ticket.

The government recently released its draft regulation on cash transactions, which only provides that cash has to be accepted for transactions of $500 or less, and only at big supermarkets and major fuel retailers. With respect, it’s a dud. It’s the green light for the phasing out of cash in Australia. Why won’t you support my private member’s bill which would apply to all businesses and all face-to-face transactions of $10,000 or less, and which would truly keep cash king in Australia?

Jim Chalmers takes this one (and really, he should get the pun in the headline as well)

The Albanese government is taking steps to ensure that Australians can use cash to pay for more of the essential items that they need. In saying that, I acknowledge from the outset that the honourable member would like us to go further and do more.

And I’ll run through those reasons in a moment. But I remind the honourable member that there is currently nothing preventing any business in Australia from refusing to accept cash. And we consider that situation to be unacceptable.

That is the status quo that we’ve inherited. That’s the status quo that we are changing. We know that cash still plays an important role in the lives of many Australians.

Right now, there’s no obligation. And we’re changing that. We take seriously the issues the honourable member and others have raised with us. In 2022, we know that the Reserve Bank found that around 7% of Australians still used cash for the majority of their in-person purchases. But we also know that many of those cash users are older Australians, and also Australians living in rural and regional communities like those represented by the honourable member.

Last year, we said we would introduce a cash acceptance mandate for the first time. And we’re delivering on that promise. From 1 January, we’re ensuring that Australians can buy their fuel and groceries by mandating cash acceptance for essential purchases through a mandatory industry code under the Competition and Consumer Act. This follows extensive consultation earlier this year, we received 61 submissions from organisations – 4,000 from individuals.

We met with a range of organisations about it. We know there’s a balance to be struck here between ensuring that Australians can use cash to pay for essentials, but also we don’t want to place unnecessary burdens on small businesses, particularly small businesses, particularly small businesses in the regions.

After that extensive consultation, we think that we’ve got the balance right. We’ve also committed to reviewing the mandate after three years to ensure it’s functioning as it’s supposed to. We will then whether it should be expanded. We’ll look at its impact on businesses of all sizes. And any developments in cash distribution and access at that time as well.

We do know that, for many Australians, cash is more than a payment method – it can be a lifeline. That’s why we are taking the steps that we are taking to make sure that more businesses in this country have to accept cash for essential items. And that a very substantial change, a very substantial improvement, on the status quo that we inherited.

Col Boyce, the LNP MP for Flynn reads his question, which is again, on Tomago.

We learn nothing new.

We then get Alex Hawke asking Pat Conroy (who is representing Tim Ayres, the minister for industry, who is in the senate)

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Industry and Innovation: The government has repeatedly refused to release the details of a secret departmental report obtained by the opposition under the existing Freedom of Information laws, which was given to the Minister for Industry and Innovation, titled Industry Facilities At Risk – Key Dates And Proposed High-Level Handling given on 19 June 2025. Minister, how many Australian businesses are on this list of Australian industrial facilities at risk, and how many Australian jobs would be impacted should any of these at-risk facilities close?

Conroy says he’ll take it on notice because it refers to a document and as the minister representing the minister, that is the right thing to do (he says). Hawke wants the unredacted document. There is a back and forth but nothing is resolved.

The Albanese government is absolutely using loopholes to be as least transparent as they have to be (common theme with the government – the least it can do) but we should also remember that the Morrison government really stepped up anti-transparency measures (Morrison secretly swore himself into five ministries) and this tends to lead to a mutually assured destruction cycle. It never is an excuse that the other guys did it, but its constantly used and abused in Australian politics, and new normals get set all the time. And it’s the public who suffers.

Chris Bowen doesn’t put the blame where it belongs though. He says:

We can more than promise a future made in Australia. We can deliver a Future Made in Australia. Because we believe in the opportunities throughout our country.

We believe in the opportunities in our country for de-carbonising. And we believe that the regions that have powered Australia for so long will power us into the future in a different way. And we believe that industries – industries like aluminium – need a supply of energy which is reliable, and we believe they need a supply of energy which is cheap.

And that’s why we are determined to continue the transition that’s underway in this country, which those opposite would stop. They would stop if the opportunity.

Again, the honourable member quotes the Tomago statement today, which I had already quoted. And I had already quoted because it says – it says – that the submissions they’ve had from coal-fired power were uncompetitive. And that is true.

And they also went on to say, “There is significant uncertainty about when renewable projects will be available at the scale we need.” That’s unfortunate. But we agree we should have more renewables quicker. Those opposite would see less renewables across our country. T

he Boyne Island smelter in Queensland has managed to get enough renewables. They’ve secured more than two gigawatts of renewables. That’s a good thing. That’s the future of aluminium smelting. The Tomago facility is in a different situation.

As I said previously, this government, through the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Industry Minister, the member for Shortland, and the Hunter members, will leave nothing on the table. We will continue the conversations with Tomago and with Rio, with the New South Wales government, to see if anything is possible to support this facility and to support the workers. And regardless of the outcome, we will be there for the people of the Hunter, because when the industrial change happens, it’s important that government steps up.

And this government will step up for the people of the Hunter. We will step up not only about Tomago, but about the other opportunities in the Hunter, because the people of the Hunter, having powered Australia for so long and having shaped so much of Australia’s future, deserve nothing less. They don’t need a minister at this dispatch box celebrating the departure of manufacturing jobs, goading manufacturing to leave, or saying, “Don’t worry, another business will come along,” which is what Joe Hockey said when the Point Henry smelter, the last smelter to close in Australia, announced their closure in 2014.

That’s what would happen if those opposite held the levers. It will not happen on our watch

After a very easy dixer to Richard Marles to remind everyone he is there, we get to Dan Tehan who asks:

On 20 January this year, the Prime Minister visited the Tomago aluminium smelter, where 5,000 local jobs depend on its future. And told journalists, “This is what a Future Made in Australia looks like.” Yet today, Tomago Aluminium said, “Finding competitively priced energy remains a central challenge.” How can Labor promise a Future Made in Australia when all it can actually deliver is higher energy prices?

You can almost feel the excitement rolling off the Coalition tactics team with these questions today. They truly feel they are onto a winner. Which, on the face of it, sure. But dig a tiny bit into it and what do you know? The cost of energy in Australia is largely due to the cost of gas. Because we export so much of it, our domestic prices are exposed to the international spot market and that is not great for our prices.

Independent MP Kate Chaney gets the first crossbench question today and asks Anika Wells:

The rise of AI is making it hard to tell what’s real and what’s not, and Australians need to be able to distinguish fact from fiction online. The government has committed to developing a national media literacy strategy. What’s the progress on this strategy, and will it deal with AI deepfakes and misinformation?

Wells:

We on this side of the House agree this is a real a important topic and we’ve been putting a lot of effort into the space of the future of news media, what online safety looks like, where this is going, how this dovetails into the work that we want to do with AI.

It’s a really interesting space and I appreciate your interest in it. We really care about this issue. And I think we are very clear-eyed about the fact that AI is changing the landscape and it is changing it very quickly.

And whilst we on this side of the House want to make the most of every opportunity that AI presents us, we want to be a country that is seen across the world as being forward-leaning on AI and making the most of the opportunities.

There are things that we need to do to make sure that our kids, in particular, and everybody who engages with it online, has the kind of literacy and resilience needed to be able to make the most of those opportunities whilst being safe at the same time.

That is why what that looks like is the $132 million that we have put into Newsmap to make sure we have a strong and vibrant news media space in this country, particularly in regional areas.

We have put money into the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which works with children in schools to improve digital literacy and trying to recognise what you said in your question around what is and isn’t real online, and we’ve put money into Newshound, which helps students and schools work on news media and come up through the ranks, perhaps to one day meet the high calibre of the Press Gallery that watch us now*.

It is an interesting space. I talked to the media students at places like East Doncaster, where I was with the member for Menzies recently. I think we can agree that kids are swamped with what’s happening. A platform like YouTube uploads 600 hours of content every 60 seconds. That is not something new that we have time to prepare for. That’s why the news media literacy plan you referred to was announced by my predecessor as commencing this year a program of work we’re looking to do over the coming three years. I look forward to continuing.

*Debatable

Chris Bowen answers Sussan Ley’s question with:

I thank the Honourable the Leader of the Opposition for the question. The first thing to say is that today is confronting news for the employees of Tomago.

And on behalf of the government, I’m sure I express our solidarity with the workers of Tomago and the people of the Hunter. And that, regardless of what comes, there is a month of consultation, but we will stand with the workers of Tomago regardless of what comes.

That is the first and most important thing to say. Tomago and Rio have today announced the beginning of a consultation about the future of the Tomago smelter. I

t is true – it is true – that they referred to energy prices in that announcement. And they made clear in the announcement today – it is true that they said that finding competitively priced energy remains a central challenge.

They went on to say, “Based on market proposals received to date, the cost of both coal-fired power and renewable energy options from January 2029 would increase significantly, fundamentally changing the operating economics and leaving the smelter unviable.” That is what they said. And then they go on to say that it is difficult to find enough renewable energy for the project.

What they’re saying is what we say – that we need more of the cheapest and most reliable energy for our grid.

This is an important and difficult period for the Tomago smelter. The government has been in discussions with Rio through the Industry Minister, the Treasurer, myself and others for some time, and we will continue that over the coming months, and for as long as it takes, to make sure that nothing is left on the field when it comes to the future of the workers of Tomago.

That’s the view of our Hunter MPs. That’s the view of every member of the Cabinet. What we won’t do – what you will not hear any one member of this government do – is stand at this dispatch box and celebrate the death of manufacturing jobs in this country.

I’m old enough to remember that happening. I’m old enough to be sitting there when a Treasurer of Australia goaded manufacturing to leave this country*. I remember what that was like, and it won’t happen on our watch.

And nor – nor will we say – nor will we say, as a Liberal government said the last time an aluminium smelter closed in Australia, the then-Treasurer said, “If you get entirely despondent about one business closing, you’ll ignore the fact that, at any other one time, other businesses are opening, and they’re the jobs of tomorrow.”

I’m sure that made the workers of Port Henry feel better when the Treasurer said that last time an aluminium smelter closed in this country. We’ll work with the unions and communities of the Tomago and Hunter to ensure that nothing is left on the field for the jobs of the day, but we are creating the jobs of tomorrow for them as well.

*He is referring to when Joe Hockey told the car manufacturing industry to leave Australia during the Abbott years.

Sussan Ley is back: “My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy: In January, the Prime Minister said of Tomago, “5,000 jobs depend on this facility.” But Tomago is now in crisis, with its CEO saying future energy prices are not commercially viable. Under Labor, there have been closures of the Kwinana and Kalgoorlie smelters in WA, emergency bailouts in Hobart, Whyalla, Port Pirie and Mount Isa, and mayday calls from Bell Bay and Boyne Smelters. How can Labor promise a Future Made in Australia when all it actually delivers is future shutdowns, future job losses, and higher energy prices?“

As an aside, the Greens think the government should save the plant, but through a public stake.

Before QT, senator Penny Allman-Payne said:

Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

The Albanese government should take a public stake in Tomago Aluminium, and make sure the Australian people get a return on their money.

In addition to taking a public stake, Labor must underwrite the cost of a clean energy build out to power the smelter to support the green transition.

This is an opportunity to both put workers first and accelerate the transition out of fossil fuels, not just deliver another Glencore-style corporate bailout that offers no public benefit. 

We can’t keep doling out public cash to billionaires and big corporations without expecting a return.