Whilst there remain many challenges facing Australia and our energy mix, there is still hope on the horizon. As I have said, I have faith in the Australian spirit. 
We have the best resources in the world. We have the ingenuity, the drive, and the knowledge to maximise them. 
We should not be energy-reliant, but energy-independent. We should not be in the position that we are in – today – ever again. We should be pulling every lever available to us: coal, gas, uranium, oil – and we can do that by drilling and digging what we have in abundance here.

Mining pays the bills for Australia. These words remain as true today as when I made the same statement two years ago, when we last gathered for Minerals Week, and as true as 100 years ago.
The copper fields of Cloncurry to the development of coal in Queensland transformed my state from an agrarian economy – and cheap electricity (as well as the removal of death duties) turbo-charged the state into a powerhouse of small businesses, manufacturing, tourism and the arts. 

The Crisafulli Queensland Government’s announcement to unlock new oil and gas tenure in the Taroom trough is a win for Queensland businesses and households who want affordable, reliable, secure energy.

The Albanese Government has been dragged kicking and screaming into finally realising the urgent need to secure Australian gas for Australians, yet have provided no detail as to how they will support new gas investments, new gas infrastructure, or remove their failed interventions.

North Queensland-based Senator, Susan McDonald says “enough is enough” after listening to people and businesses struggling to afford power prices due to Labor’s aggressive net zero policies.

Up to 1000 jobs are in immediate jeopardy at the Tomago Aluminium smelter, with reports indicating the plant may be forced to shut down due to soaring energy prices.

It is clear that Australia holds the minerals and the capability to supply the next mining boom, and deliver the strategic and critical minerals our partners need. What is not clear is whether we will be able to maximise this opportunity – and this is where the Albanese Labor Government has been asleep at the wheel.

Shadow Minister for Northern Australia and Resources, Senator Susan McDonald is scheduled to question senior trade and agriculture officials in Senate Estimates today – National Banana Day – over a push by the Philippines to export bananas to Australia in a move that could devastate one of Australia’s most successful horticultural industries.

The latest Resources and Energy Quarterly report has today confirmed that uranium is key to global energy supply, as demand and prices are set to increase in coming years, renewing calls from the Coalition to add uranium to Australia’s Critical Minerals List.

The recent closure of Alcoa’s alumina refinery is yet another notch on Labor’s shameful track record on securing Australia’s critical minerals potential, as they continue to drive Australian industry, investment, and jobs offshore.