LABOR’S CRITICAL MINERALS PLAN AN ADMISSION OF POLICY FAILURE
- Critical minerals: Labor admits it will only now “begin talks” with allies
- Labor silent on whether uranium, copper and aluminium will be declared critical minerals
- After three years in office Labor promises a “taskforce” on strategic reserves.
After three years in office the Albanese Labor Government’s policy to only now “begin talks with allies” on critical minerals reserves is a telling admission that Labor has dithered on national security, trade and resources policy.
Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald, also questioned if Labor’s policy to establish a so-called critical minerals reserve would include uranium, copper, bauxite and alumina which the Albanese Government had so-far refused to classify as critical minerals.
The Senator also described as “laughably unprepared and late” Labor’s policy to only now establish “a taskforce to finalise the design of the strategic reserve”.
“What critical minerals will be in this reserve?”, Senator McDonald asked, “and will Labor match the Coalition’s commitment to expand the critical minerals list to actually include those that our allies want and need.”
“For the duration of Labor’s term in office the entire world and our entire Asia-Pacific region has seen a sharp increase in national security threats and challenges. Yet despite this playing-out in full view and with the full knowledge of the Labor Government, they have waited for polling booths to open before announcing they will start to talk to our allies and set up a taskforce”.
“What an admission of policy failure,” Senator McDonald said.
She said Labor’s policy stood in stark contrast to the Coalition’s plans to turbo-charge investment and jobs in the critical minerals sector.
“As a part of the Coalition’s plans to get Australia Back on Track, we will refocus our critical minerals strategy to better align with the defence and strategic needs of Australia and its allies,” she said.
“By expanding the critical minerals list, the Coalition will cement Australia’s reliability and national security credentials as part of the Quad, AUKUS and Five Eyes.”
Senator McDonald confirmed a Coalition Government would expand the critical minerals list to include copper, uranium, zinc, bauxite, alumina, aluminium, potash, phosphate and tin.
She said it was the Liberals and Nationals who established the Critical Minerals Facility freeing-up billions of dollars to grow the sector.
“We need that sort of national and international leadership back. We need to get Australia back on track,” she said.
ENDS