KIERAN GILBERT: Thanks very much for that. Now the Government's announced its future gas strategy. The minister leading this is the Resources Minister, Madeleine King. She joins me live now from Beef Week in Rockhampton. Minister, thanks very much for your time. The industry has warmly welcomed the announcement today. You've copped some flak already from Get-Up. They've slammed this. They call it a dangerous gas strategy. Greenpeace say it's a betrayal of the Pacific. Have you also had to stare down some opponents to this within your own party? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Hi, Kieran. It's good to be here all the way from Rockhampton in magnificent Central Queensland. I'm at Beef '24. So I just want to shout out to the local community for all the work they're doing with that. Your question around the future gas strategy: I would say to anyone that has an interest in the strategy, those that support it and those that perhaps don't, that they should be mindful of the guiding principle, the number one principle I've set out in the future gas strategy is that Australia is committed to global emissions reductions. We are committed to net zero by 2050, and this Albanese Labor Government is the only Government that has legislated for that federally. So that is the underlying principle. But what we do know is there has to be a discussion and assessment of how all energy sources fit within that journey to net zero by 2050. We know that coal is retiring, lowering emissions, we know renewables are growing and we're investing in that. Our Government is investing in that through a number of programs and so are the States and Territories. I think that's a very good thing. But even so, we will need other energy sources to make sure that we keep the economy going, that we give consumers choice and access to affordable energy and heating as well as manufacturing and minerals processing and all sorts of industries like producing fertilisers for farms and so forth. They will need gas to power those operations until there are substitutes and future gas strategy is encouraging of those substitutes, but we know that they're going to take some time to develop. I'm thinking of hydrogen in this respect, and we're investing in that, too. So this is a pathway to net zero by 2050. It's a total acceptance of it and it's making sure we have those energy sources that we have right now that are helping to power our economy, that they flow within that pathway to net zero. 

KIERAN GILBERT: And as you and the Prime Minister have said, this is part of the plan for net zero. Part of it as well is to, as you say, firm up the renewables, but is it also possible to mitigate more of the emissions? Does carbon capture and storage actually work? I'm sure many of our viewers have heard commitments to this. I remember hundreds of millions of dollars being spent back in the Rudd Government. Does it work? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Carbon capture storage is working. We have the largest carbon capture and storage facility on Barrow Island off the coast of Western Australia, that has stored 9 million tonnes of CO2. Now, that's a lot of CO2 and it's an important project. Now that project hasn't met all its targets and I accept that, proponents accept that as well. But equally, we need everything we can get hold of to make sure we lower emissions. We need the gas industry to do more to lower emissions. We need people to embrace the safeguards mechanism and, indeed, they have. We also need to drive down demand where we can do. But in some places we simply can't and that's what the analytical report that is part of the future gas strategy sets out. And so carbon capture and storage is one of those tools to help us reach net zero and the International Energy Agency has acknowledged this on a number of occasions, as have other international groups as part of the drive to net zero because it is an accessible and a possible way of storing CO2 safely but, you know, it's contested, when there's contested land use and I accept that as well, but it's important that the research and the investment and the effort into CCS continues. As you would know, the Government is not sponsoring CCS. We do have a fund that's looking into new technologies around CCS, but that is a matter for the proponents themselves, whether it be gas or anything else, to invest in how they lower their emissions and if one of those means is CCS, then they have to spend that money and that investment and go through all the appropriate approvals to do that.

KIERAN GILBERT: The strategy, as I mentioned at the start, has been welcomed by the Australian Energy Producers. The chief executive of that organisation, Samantha McCulloch, they represent gas, as you know, and she will be joining me shortly. But she said in the statement just released in the last few moments, your strategy, Madeleine King's strategy, needs to be backed by clear, tangible actions that urgently unlock new gas supply to address looming shortfalls. When I read that, I think of the states. Are the states doing enough to unlock those supplies? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: The states, one, they have access to supplies. Like obviously offshore in WA and NT there is a lot of supply, and that is being unlocked and one of the things we're going to look into, that is mentioned in the future gas strategy, is having a discussion with industry on the use-it-or-lose-it type of mechanism. So, you know, you can't hold on or there is a time limit set on you having ownership of that particular deposit of gas. But, you know, that's still to come. That is something we need to have a good conversation with the industry about. But each state does make its own choices and I don't want to, and I never have wanted to, get into arguments with states about what their choices are. Those governments are responsible for their communities and their communities vote them in and they have strategies around that. So I know in Queensland, obviously they are very supportive of gas and, indeed, the onshore industry is making sure the gas is available in the southern states. Equally, there is gas in offshore waters close to Victoria which goes - processed in Victoria and then goes to Victoria and New South Wales. So, you know, the proponents, and I really - Sam will make some good points, I'm sure, and there will be things we disagree on as well, but equally, she does, I think, and has made the point, and the strategy makes the point, that we will need some more supply to see us through. 

KIERAN GILBERT: On - you mentioned you're at Beef Week, what are the exporters saying to you about the China relationship? The Government's getting the trade ties on an even keel, but then with having this tension over a clash in the Yellow Sea, China accusing Australia of spying. Would you encourage exporters to get back in that market given the volatility? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: I think exporters, you know, there's been troubling times with trade and the Queensland exporters in particular have really copped it and - but they're here, showing their wares, there's more - there's exports, a lot of beef products, not just the meat itself, so to speak. But there are - there is an international contingent here, the first international contingent since COVID. So there's a lot of optimism here at Beef '24 around supplying into all markets. The Chinese market specifically is important, it's important for a lot of our trade. And, of course, each producer and exporter is going to make those decisions as to what is the most reliable source of export for them and that really is a matter for them. I've got to say, this particular incident hasn't been raised with me here at Beef '24 in Rockhampton, but it's obviously a concern.

KIERAN GILBERT: Now, just finally, on - we're seeing the Group of Eight universities, the vice-chancellors, seek advice from the Attorney-General on these encampments we're seeing, advice as to whether things like “the river to the sea” or “intifada” should be seen as hate speech. Should we look at bans against language like we've seen on the Nazi salute, a ban of that sort? Is that what governments should look at in terms of what we're seeing on university campuses? 

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Yeah, I used to work at one of the Group of Eight universities for a number of years and universities are places that should have open and respectful discussions. Look, I'm not going to get into the debate about banning anything right now. But what I will say is we know hate speech is just not acceptable in any forum, or any campus, on, you know, your show or any show in the streets, you know, so we do have to be simply respectful of one another and it wouldn't matter what the issue is, and I guess, I might just leave it at that, Kieran, because what I find disturbing personally is that people are willing to engage so much in hate speech, which clearly doesn't help resolve any issue.

KIERAN GILBERT: Resources Minister, Madeleine King, I do want to talk to you about the geoscience Australia, the mapping of the continent. It sounds really exciting on that front, but we'll do that another day. We've run out of time. Catch you soon.  

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: We could talk about that for ages.  

KIERAN GILBERT: We'll lock out an hour next time I see you.