A key Senate cross-bencher has been assured by Industry Minister Ed Husic that a National Reconstruction Fund will not affect the Tasmanian logging industry, but is still waiting for the fine print before she gives it her support.
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Jacquie Lambie Network Senators Tammy Tyrell and Jacquie Lambie could play a key role in the Senate to establish the $15 billion dollar fund which passed the lower house on Thursday.
Labor needs the support of at least two senators to get the bill up after brokering a deal with the Greens to include a commitment that the NRF will not fund fossil fuel projects or native forest logging.
Independent ACT senator David Pocock is yet to formally state his position. The position of former Greens senator Lidia Thorpe is unknown.
The Coalition is not supporting the bill and had previously described it as a "dud".
Senator Tyrrell said she was yet to make up her mind, but had voiced her concerns that the Greens deal could mean bad news for the nation's native forest loggers.
The Tasmanian said her support was pending further discussions with Mr Husic and local industry groups.
"I look at Australia and Tassie as my family and I won't rush into anything and put my family at risk," she said.
Mr Husic said the NRF was never intended for coal, gas or logging projects, but he categorically stated that logging would continue where states and territories allow it.
The Minister said the NRF could help kickstart domestic manufacturing in industries such as renewables instead of seeing resources and intellectual property be sent offshore and come back in the form of finished products.
"Well, [Mr Husic's comments] give me assurance that he's actually listening to what we're saying. We've also asked for the nuts and bolts of how they've come to this as well," Senator Tyrrell said.
"But we can't always blindly accept what is said and what is happening with that group. You know, we're here to ask questions. We're here to double check. And if I don't do that, I don't think I'm doing my job very well."
The federal government said the NRF would help "diversify and transform" Australian industry in areas such as renewables and low emissions technologies, defence, medical science and transport.
A Senate economics legislation committee has recommended the bill should pass after hearing submissions from a raft of unions and industry groups.
"We want to make sure that any business or manufacturing organisation that sets up here in Tassie and the mainland is going to be looked after properly and isn't going to fall into, like, a pit of despair.
"We don't want them to feel like it's a slush fund that the government [is] setting up and that it might fall over. We want to make sure that we're investing in all the right things."
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Senator Tyrrell said this included luring industries such as medical manufacturing or tech companies to set up in Australia, and to make sure the independent NRF board would encourage innovation and change.
Senator Tyrell acknowledged the Greens' aim in their negotiations in the Senate, but said industries such as metal or cement needed the time and resources to transition to clean manufacturing.
"There's organisations that are not going to be able to do what they ask. The Greens want it today or tomorrow," she said.
"You got to give the Greens credit don't you, though. They're very passionate. And they always strive for their core values."
