Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service
NADIA MITSOPOULOS, HOST: Earlier this morning you will remember I was discussing big batteries with the CEO of Synergy David Fyfe. Well coincidentally, and it is a coincidence, the Member for Perth, Patrick Gorman, is in Collie this morning to visit one of the big batteries being built there. He's also the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and he had a chat to Damian Smith just a little earlier this morning.
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: I am down to see the big battery that is being built by Neoen, which is a huge investor in Australia. They're building a battery that is going to give us - these numbers always boggle my mind - some 877-megawatt hours in stage one. That is a huge contribution to the WA grid, about 20 to 25% of the entire demand, this battery will be able to supply. It is all part of the plan that's already happening in our backyard here in WA, to make Australia a renewable-powered nation.
DAMIAN SMITH, HOST: And you met with this company in France recently, didn't you? How did that come about?
GORMAN: I did. I was representing the Minister for Trade and Tourism in France as part of the work where we've built this great bilateral relationship with France. I was there for the launch flight of the Perth to Paris direct flight, and it does deliver on what we want, which is to strengthen our trade relationships. This company is a huge investor in Australia, they've got investments totalling $4 billion. And they're a purely renewable energy company. And they're just one. People are knocking on the door of Australia wanting to invest, we want to make that investment as easy, quick, and get as much benefit for Australians as possible. That is why we've introduced last month in the parliament the Future Made in Australia Act, which is all about making sure we can grab these opportunities and make sure that Australian people benefit.
SMITH: And were you able to get some insight from them about why they have chosen to invest so heavily in Australia, and in particular Collie, but they do have a number of other big batteries they're building around Australia.
GORMAN: They have been watching really closely what's happened in terms of the policy settings in Australia. What we've seen here is that we now have, for the first time in a long time, really clear, stable energy policy. I'm really proud of the work my Government's done to deliver on that. That means that they know that we're committed to Net Zero. They know we're committed to getting more renewables into our grid. And they know that - at least the Government I'm a part of - is serious about making sure we actually just stay the course. Australia lost so many opportunities because of that decade of switching and changing on energy policy, we've now just got to get more renewables into the grid. And they see there's a commercial return here too. And they're very unapologetic about that.
SMITH: Have you detected any uncertainty or doubt that's been introduced with the Federal Opposition's plans for nuclear for Australia, because that could sort of eat into the investment for renewables.
GORMAN: I was in Collie last month talking about the concern and questions that people have. I mean, people in Collie know the energy industry really well, better than most West Australians. They know that you've got to have a geological survey, you've got to have costings, you've got to have water supply. And you've got to actually be clear about what it is that you're seeking to build, and when. And all of those questions, more than a month on, are completely unanswered. And I think what we're now hearing is that there is real concern, and I'll be interested in what I hear again when I'm in Collie today, there's real concern that more than a month after announcing that Collie is going to get a nuclear reactor, Peter Dutton hasn't even rocked up to explain why he chose to place one here in WA.
SMITH: Now, I can't help but ask you there's a Cabinet reshuffle coming on Sunday. Have you been campaigning for a promotion?
GORMAN: These things are conversations that happen within the Caucus. Ultimately, Cabinet positions are something that's decided by the Prime Minister. As your listeners know, I love being the Member for Perth. I love my job as Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister. And that's probably all I'll say about that.
SMITH: WA does only have Madeleine King in the Cabinet though, do you think WA needs better representation?
GORMAN: Well, I think representation can come in many forms. Every day that I've been in parliament, I've stood up for Western Australia. I did that when I was on the backbench, I do that now in my role as the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Madeleine does that for us in Cabinet. And of course, I expect that all of my colleagues, whether they're based in Western Australia, or not, I expect all of my colleagues have a really deep understanding of the communities and industries that make up Western Australia.
MITSOPOULOS: And that was Patrick Gorman speaking with Damian Smith a little earlier this morning.
