Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Agriculture. Minister, do you support the Shenhua coalmine project, notwithstanding any impact it might have on the agriculture sector, or does your support for Australian mining jobs only apply when the project is not in your own backyard?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Might I remind him that what we now have is a process that is before the state government. We have done everything within our power to make sure that there is proper oversight of environmental issues. But he does bring to clear light the jobs of people in Queensland, which he referred to—the jobs of people in Central Queensland as attached to the Adani mine, which I am sure the member for Dawson is very interested in and which I am sure that other members from Central Queensland, the member for Flynn and the member for Capricornia, have a vital interest in, because it is the Australian Labor Party that is standing in front of the prospect of these—

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: everyone in the House, including the minister, knows why I am on my feet—relevance. I asked him a very specific question about his support for the Shenhua mine, and he has not gone to that question whatsoever.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has the call. The question had two parts, and the minister remains relevant to the question.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

The member for Lingiari is warned!

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is one question I could never answer—why the member for Hunter is ever on his feet!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will focus on the answer to the question.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I can say is that he has referred to other mines, and the other mine that is topical at the moment is the Adani mine, which we are trying to do everything in our power to get going because we want people to have jobs. We want the prospect of the economy of Central Queensland being driven ahead. But it has been stymied. When the Labor Party are challenged to actually stand up for jobs, to actually deliver for the people of Central Queensland, to stand behind the people of Capricornia, to stand behind the people in the seat of Flynn, to stand behind the people in the seat of Dawson, to stand behind these things, they are found lacking.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton is warned!

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In fact, they would prefer to stand behind a snake and a skink than stand behind the working people of Central Queensland, and I think that is an abomination. That the priority of the Labor Party is now snakes and skinks, and not the working men and women of Central Queensland, is an abomination.