Joint Media Release - TIM AYRES’ EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE UNIONS

TED O’BRIEN MP

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

SHADOW TREASURER

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FAIRFAX

ALEX HAWKE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION
MANAGER OF OPPOSITION BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MITCHELL

SIMON KENNEDY MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR SCRUTINY OF GOVERNMENT WASTE

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR COOK

MEDIA RELEASE

2 December 2025

TIM AYRES’ EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE UNIONS

The Albanese Labor Government’s National AI Plan has been written by unions, for unions.

Labor’s plan is incomplete and incoherent that signals an expanded role for unions in workplaces. Labor’s plan contains serious defects, including:

No energy plan to power AI - Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shows modelling shows demand for energy by data centres will continue at pace through a combination of coal, gas and renewable generation, forecast to represent 11 per cent of demand in the National Energy Market in 2040.
Open-door to unions - In a productivity-destroying move, the Plan ensures unions will have a “strong voice" to consult on and co-design AI systems in Australian workplaces.
No national regulatory gap-analysis - Despite the Treasurer stating on 21 August 2025 after his Productivity Roundtable that there would be a dedicated regulatory gap analysis, as called for by the Productivity Commission, the Plan states that "ongoing refinement" of regulatory gaps remains a work-in-progress.
Privacy Act reforms still M.I.A - Promised by dumped Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and later Michelle Rowland, the Plan states that updates to the Privacy Act to keep Australians safe remain on ice.

Shadow Treasurer, Ted O’Brien, welcomed progress on AI, but warned that Labor’s current economic settings will hold Australia back.

“Now in their fourth year in office, Labor is finally progressing a plan on AI, but the government’s broader economic settings mean Australia will never capture the full opportunity,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Unless Labor changes course on its economic agenda – especially its failing energy policy – AI will be a missed opportunity to strengthen our economy and lift living standards, and Australia will be consigned to be AI laggers instead of AI leaders.

“The economic opportunity which is AI will pass us by if Labor’s glossy document, which is scant on detail, lacking vision and absent of any action, is all they gave to offer.

Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation, Alex Hawke, said Labor’s National AI Plan gives too much to unions.

"While the Coalition is pleased to see the Government reject an AI Act, Labor’s plan fails to fully embrace the likely economic benefits of AI," Mr Hawke said.

"Labor’s plan is an early Christmas present for the unions: it lays the groundwork for more union interference in Australian workplaces.

"As a direct consequence of Labor’s lack of national coordination on AI policy, other jurisdictions are now going it alone on AI regulation. The New South Wales Minns Labor Government is forging ahead with its own suite of AI-related workplace laws that have been panned by business.

"Labor’s lack of leadership is jeopardising the productivity benefits of AI by ceding too much control to the union movement."

Shadow Assistant Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Simon Kennedy, said Australia can play a leading role on AI.

"AI is Australia’s biggest economic opportunity and we are not taking full advantage. The United States and China are sprinting ahead with billions in AI investment, new chips and aggressively expanding the energy capacity needed. This is a race to build the leading economy of the future and Australia risks falling behind. Our competitors are building new capability and business models, we need to catch up," Mr Kennedy said.

The Coalition’s principles are simple: unleash innovation, back small business, reward creatives, protect Australians, and finally build the energy and digital infrastructure needed for Australia to compete and win.”

Labor’s plan comes two years after dumped Industry Minister Ed Husic commenced consultations on AI regulation and more than four years after the Coalition’s landmark Digital Economy Strategy and AI Action Plan.

The Plan sensibly avoids the creation of a dedicated AI Act; the Coalition has been warning for months that a standalone AI Act would put a handbrake on productivity. Labor has been dragged kicking and screaming into ruling out a Text and Data Mining Exception, months after the Coalition called for a ban on the unfair proposal.

ENDS

BACKGROUND

Key Coalition Government initiatives on AI