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

My question is to the Minister for Energy and Resources. Is the minister aware that in Queensland there are 126,000 people registered as unemployed and 670,000 as part-time employed? There are 299,000 Queenslanders desperately seeking full-time work. The contention, Minister, of a mining company whose awards range of $85,000 to $175,000 cannot find workers is an insult to the intelligence of every Australian. Does the minister know Australia's greatest mining growth was under Charles Court and the Bjelke-Petersen and both— (Time expired)

Mr Katter interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member's time has expired. The member for Kennedy is not above the standing orders. The member for Kennedy will resume his seat. The member for Kennedy is defying the chair. I understand that the member for Kennedy is very passionate about his issues and I was not reflecting on that in any way—everybody is passionate in this place—but I think we would all agree that the member for Kennedy generally extends and demonstrates it a little more forcefully than most. But there are standing orders. They must be observed. The Minister for Resources and Energy has the call.

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Whilst unfortunately he did not get an opportunity to complete reading the question, I understand that he is referring to the Alpha Coal Project in Queensland. This project has not received all the approvals in terms of environmental requirements at this point in time, but I think the question was going to whether or not the company had applied for an Enterprise Migration Agreement. The answer to the question is no.

Still, given the importance of this project, the member appropriately raised the question of employment, which is of the utmost importance to the government. This project potentially represents 3,600 new jobs in construction. More importantly, in production it represents 1,000 high-skilled, well-paid jobs for Australians. My responsibility is to continue to meet with GVK Hancock Coal , as I have in the past.

The question also went, as I understood it, to whether or not Gina Rinehart would be able to apply for an Enterprise Migration Agreement. Firstly, she is not the major investor. She is a minor investor at 21 per cent. The major investor is GVK out of India and, as a devotee of the former Premier of Queensland Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who opened up foreign investment for the purposes of developing the coal regions in Queensland, I am sure that he would welcome a new investor, GVK, out of India.

Mr Katter interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Kennedy!

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply say to the honourable member that I appreciate his focus on employment. We are very proud of our employment record—4.9 per cent nationally, 5.4 per cent in Queensland—and if this project goes ahead it is going to be interesting with respect to the challenges we will confront in terms of employment. Alpha’s neighbouring town of Emerald currently has an unemployment rate of 2.6 per cent. If the project goes ahead I simply give the House this undertaking: our first priority is the employment of Australians.

Mr Katter interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Kennedy is warned!

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our second priority is to ensure that Australians are trained—and I know the member for Kennedy cares about Indigenous Australians—and engaged for the purposes of production. One thousand high-skilled jobs in production and foreign investment are welcome in Australia.