Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The honourable member over here used to be the deputy leader of the Labor Party, and I can understand why they got rid of her. She is sitting there laughing. She thinks it is funny that 46,000 Australians are going to lose their jobs when you close down the coalmining industry. And they said, 'But the solar industry and wind will replace it.' Well, I have a little story for you. Solar comes in from overseas. It does not provide a single job in Australia. If you had any brains or knew anything about science or metallurgy, you would know that silicon is the second-hardest—I draw the attention of the Federation Chamber, once again, to the deputy leader of the Labor Party as she was sitting there laughing and thinking it funny that we should close down the coalmining industry. She thinks that is funny.

The people of Mackay who have 2½ thousand empty houses do not think it is funny. The people of Townsville—with the highest unemployment in Australia and arguably the highest crime rate in Australia—do not think it is funny. The people of Moranbah to Charters Towers, where there are a thousand empty homes, do not think it is funny. But the ALP think it is funny. (Time expired)

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