KIERAN GILBERT: A $20 million side deal will allow for an improved critical minerals supply chain to flow between the four countries. It aims to secure energy stability amid the global turmoil caused by the war with Iran. Joining me now is the Resources and Northern Australia Minister, Madeleine King. Thanks for your time. You’ve been talking a lot about this issue. How does the Quad agreement fit into your and the government’s broader thinking when it comes to critical minerals? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Yeah, thanks, Kieran. Thanks for having me on again today. Well, the Quad is a really important association of countries that are seeking to work together on this security pact, an energy security pact. In terms of critical minerals, we’ve signed an arrangement that the Foreign Minister has represented us very ably on most recently, and that’s about working together better, more productively to make sure that we do create an alternative supply chain for critical minerals and rare earths that go into all the things we take for granted these days but are so vitally important, but as well as --

KIERAN GILBERT: Is that happening? I know there’s been a lot of talk about it, a lot of deals signed, but is it flowing? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Well, if I could give you one example, just from last week, our government using our first use of the Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, we agreed to a non-binding commitment – which we will make binding, we’ve just got to work on those very important details – on an offtake for Arafura Rare Earths. We’ve moved that to final investment decision. But that involved one of the members from the Quad, certainly the US investment bang is involved in that as well as from Korea and Canada as well, as well as Germany. So countries are working together to make sure that we are building our supply chains. And now that refinery will start getting built as an ore to oxide in the heart of our country in Alice Springs later this year. So things are happening. It’s a big task, but we’re up for the challenge. 

KIERAN GILBERT: A few issues in your area, certainly the diesel fuel rebate, some Labor people, grassroots environmentalists within Labor, saying they want that to be scrapped. Are you thinking about that? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Well, we’re not considering any changes. We’re simply not. But I’m really happy to talk about the diesel fuel rebate, and particularly what it isn’t. And it isn’t a handout, it isn’t a grant. But really importantly, it’s also not the mechanism the government is putting – has put into place around emissions. So that’s the safeguard mechanism. So that’s how we’re managing emissions and our drive to net zero. 

So for your viewers to understand what the fuel excise rebate, it’s worth understanding that they know, I suppose, that we’ve cut the fuel excise by half, and that’s what every individual that owns a motor car – not an EV, but the other motor cars – it’s what they pay when at the bowser, and that money goes towards our roads that each of us use if we have one of those cars. 

For miners and for large agricultural companies, they import their fuel directly themselves, and they pay a customs duty on the import, it’s the same level as that fuel excise that we pay as everyday motorists. But all the fuel that the miners use that they can claim back is because it goes into heavy machinery that only is used on private roads that they themselves built or on private rail that they themselves have built. 

KIERAN GILBERT: So they’re not funding – they don’t – while we’re paying for road maintenance elsewhere with our rebate, our fuel excise, the miners get that rebate because they don’t use those roads? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Those don’t use those roads – well, the cars that do use those roads do pay. They absolutely pay the same as us. But for the big, huge trucks that people see, the thousands of kilometres of railway that have rail cars themselves that are kilometres long, well, they’re paid for, and that’s like $10 million a kilometre [indistinct] --

KIERAN GILBERT: But you’re not thinking about changing that? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: There are no changes proposed. 

KIERAN GILBERT: Okay, on the gas reservation, you released some more information in terms of the liquified natural gas rules for consultation earlier this week. Still the Australian energy producers are concerned about what they’re seeing. A spokesperson for the industry describing it as it’s complex and opaque compliance requirements. What do you say to them? And also the head of Santos, Kevin Gallagher, who says “It’s a sliding doors moment for Australia despite the wealth of our resources, our reputation as a safe haven for investment is at risk of slipping”. What do you say to them? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Well, what I would say is it is a complex market and this will take a lot of work. But the ask is simple: the simple ask is that the Australian gas exporters ensure that they provide sufficient and affordable domestic gas for Australian consumers, Australian businesses and Australian industry. So that’s the simple bit. The hard bit is enacting it. Of course it is. We have a discussion paper out. We’ve been very open about our willingness and, indeed, desire to do a really good consultation around this because we know --

KIERAN GILBERT: But they’ve got to get to that outcome? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Yeah, they’ve got to get to that outcome, because that’s what Australians demand and they voted for and they need. And it is achievable. And I’ve seen various comments from a lot of different people, and that’s fine, they can have their comments, and I really don’t object to it. What I really hope for is a really purposeful and productive engagement because I want to create – and so does Minister Bowen and the whole of the government – an enduring, sustainable gas market that works of course for the regional energy security that we so much need but also for everyday Australians that do need to use gas for everyday businesses that use that commodity as well, as well as our heavy industry. 

KIERAN GILBERT: So complex but you’ll get there? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: I believe so, but together. We’ll get there together, but we have to work together. 

KIERAN GILBERT: Okay. 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: But industry will work with us, and they always have, and I’m grateful for that. In the meantime, you know, people can say what they want, I suppose. 

KIERAN GILBERT: They can, yeah, indeed. Everyone’s got an opinion. Now, Amanda Lacaze is the new – this is breaking news; it just happened in the last little while – Minerals Council of Australia, there was talk that Mark McGowan or even my friend Joel Fitzgibbon might be the new chair of the MCA. It’s Amanda Lacaze. She is out of Lynas. What do you make of that appointment as Chair of the Minerals Council? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Look, Amanda Lacaze is a great appointment, but having said that, I’d work with whoever is chair, and have done in the past, of the Minerals Council. But Amanda comes from Lynas Rare Earths, which is the only producer of rare earths now outside of China, so she has led and continues to lead, I think until the end of June, a really important company in Australia that’s worked with our Japanese friends and investors. I’ve been to the opening of her refinery in Kalgoorlie. I’ve visited the Mount Weld mine that Lynas hold near Laverton she is an extraordinary female leader in the mining sector and along with Rowena Smith at ASM, you know, one of the only two female CEOs of mining companies in this country, and I really look forward to working with Amanda. 

KIERAN GILBERT: Okay. And before you go, there was a suggestion this week with Energy Minister saying that with power bills starting to come down after going up despite government modelling, that it coincided with 50 per cent renewables in the grid. Do you think that this is a tipping point, that you’ve broken the back of the transition? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: I think the transition is challenging. You know, we’ve always said this and been clear about it. You know, we’re 10 years sort of behind the rest of the world on this. And the mining companies we talk about committed to net zero well before our country did. But the transition is important, and I think where the investment is now bearing fruit with that lower energy, but there’s still a long way to go. And, you know, I only look at the uptake of home batteries across this country as well as the use of community batteries that, you know, rely on the solar as well, and, of course, all of this is backed up by gas. So all these things have got to work together so we have a secure and safe and affordable --

KIERAN GILBERT: We see it in winter. 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Yes. 

KIERAN GILBERT: I mean, you definitely need fossil fuels right now. 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Yeah, we do. But we’ve also – it’s important for the sake of the planet that we do reduce their use, and as a government we’re committed to that. We just have to make sure the pathway is of itself secure so people can enjoy power and heating now as well as in the future. 

KIERAN GILBERT: Indeed, that’s true. Resources Minister Madeleine King, thanks, appreciate it.