Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me a great sense of pride to be able to stand here and share with the room that Queenslanders, most genuinely, in and around this space have had it up to the back teeth with fly-in fly-out protesters coming to Queensland, telling us what they believe is the right position for us to have in Queensland, when really our communities are screaming for jobs. It is so disingenuous for those on the other side to come into this place and say that they support Adani, that they support these projects, when their leader has openly declared what Labor's position is both at a state and a federal level—that, if in government, they would revoke licences.

The honourable member for Kennedy proposed this matter of public importance today about the Galilee Basin. Of course, the most contentious part of the Galilee Basin opening up is the Adani mine project. We can build a railway line easily enough, but, unless there are approvals in place for companies to be able to prosper and move forward, no coal is going to go on that line. We have funding, through the NAIF, sitting there ready to go. Federally, we have ticked off on approvals for the Adani project.

The member for Kennedy made a salient point when he suggested that, in Queensland, the show was run by Jackie Trad. That is exactly the case, because I have here on record that the Premier up there, some time back, actually supported the project. In fact, there are a myriad people on the Labor side that supported the project. Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition, said on ABC in April 2017:

I support the Adani coal mine so long as it stacks up. I hope it stacks up …

Anthony Chisholm said:

The only people who lose in this are the people of Central and North Queensland who are looking to this vital project as an economic opportunity for their region.

…   …   …

Over the last month I have had many conversations in Townsville, Bowen, Proserpine, Mackay and Gladstone—there is strong support from the community for the Adani mine to go ahead.

Up and down the coast, there are Labor supporters who are supportive of the Adani project and for the development of the Galilee Basin. Murray Watt said:

… state and federal Labor have always supported jobs in mining … we also support the Adani mining project … This is a massive project, and it's got the potential to create thousands of jobs, which'd be fantastic for regional Queensland.

The shadow minister for climate change, who is sitting in the chamber, said, 'What we're talking about isn't about stopping Adani. This is one of the issues that irritate me—all of these environmentalists protesting against Adani or coal exports.' So I look forward to his contribution. The Labor Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said:

The Carmichael Coal mine-rail-port project has undergone a comprehensive and transparent environmental assessment process, according to State and Commonwealth legislation, and hundreds of conditions apply … My government has honoured its commitments on the Carmichael coal project and we are determined to see the project go ahead to create jobs in regional Queensland.

We know that not to be true. We know that not to be true. We know that Labor, those who sit on the other side of the chamber, will say whatever the audience wants to hear. Bill Shorten, the opposition leader, is on record with about half a dozen different opinions in this place. But the last one is the one that counts. It's the opinion that he had and the conversation that he had with Mr Cousins. I don't know why these conversations exist. We saw the opposition leader at the picket line, where you would have thought he would've been with trusted colleagues. But someone clearly leaked there. Then he had a discussion with Mr Cousins, hopefully in private. It was then leaked to the media by Mr Cousins that the opposition leader suggested that if they got into government they would revoke the mine. So, why would we be looking to build a railway line to open up the Galilee Basin, when, if Labor were to ever get in government, they would make sure there wasn't another coalmine opened up in this country?

To finish off, up in Central Queensland the Labor candidate there, one of the CFMEU bosses, proudly boasts that he's a third generation coalminer. Can I suggest that he has just enrolled in a party that is going to make sure there is not a fourth generation in his seat.

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