Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Maranoa for his question. I congratulate him on the work he has done for the people of Maranoa for the last 25 years and wish him well in his retirement, which was announced a few weeks ago. He is a neighbour of mine and a good friend, and we have actually known each other for much longer than politics—back to when he was Chair of the Graziers Association. I wish both him and his wife well.

He knows, as I do and everyone on this side of the House knows, that we need sustainable development of our mineral resources, including coal, to ensure that our economy continues to grow. The member for Maranoa also knows how important it is that Australia continues to have the most rigorous evidence based environmental process in the world. Once coal and other resource projects meet these requirements, they should be able to proceed without being subjected to what is essentially legal sabotage. We on this side are concerned that groups with a philosophical opposition to coal are determined to delay and disrupt every coal project via protracted litigation, regardless of the broader merits of the project; regardless of how strong the environmental protections are compared to where the alternative coal comes from; regardless of how clean the coal is compared to coal from other countries that will be burnt in its stead; regardless of the economic impact on the community; and regardless of the jobs it brings Australians.

This is not restricted to coal; it covers infrastructure projects. In fact what this environmental group has highlighted in the report, which the Deputy Prime Minister quoted, is that they are opposed to any form of economic development. I table the report. There is a strategy to destroy jobs, and it is about time the Labor Party stood up for the workers. We stand up for the workers—how about you guys stand up for the workers for a change?

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