George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Central and North Queensland—in cities and towns like Mackay, Bowen, Ayr and Townsville—have been through difficult times over the past two years as the region adjusts to a downturn in the resources sector which underpins that region's economy. It has been tough.

In the city of Mackay, where you could not find a house to rent for love nor money just a few years ago, there are now 1,200 houses for rent and 3, 000 for sale. Many people have left the region and many are in dire need of employment. Dozens of businesses have closed and many more are on the brink. Those business operators who are hanging on and workers who are desperate for more job opportunities have pinned their hopes on the Adani Carmichael mine project going ahead. In this economic climate, you can understand that it is a massive slap in the face when a local extreme green group, with five paid activists, acts against the best interests of this region by holding up the development of the Carmichael mine with court challenges. This project has faced court action on at least five different fronts, largely from extreme green groups who have no direct link or association with the Carmichael mine and who are located hundreds of kilometres away from the project site. It is quite illuminating to take a closer look at the key litigant in the job-destroying action being undertaken in the courts. The key litigant is the Mackay Conservation Group.

Once upon a time, this local group was made up of local conservationists who advocated on local issues. They were concerned about the preservation of the melaleuca forests at Slade Point; development on islands, like Lindeman Island; and pesticide run-off into the Pioneer River. These were local concerns, raised by local conservationists. But something changed at the Mackay Conservation Group, about three years ago: the vast extreme green network, the professional environmental activists, infiltrated this group. These professionals are a new and different breed. They are well-trained, well-resourced and networked in with the vast extreme green network across this country. The woman now at the helm of the Mackay Conservation Group, one Ellen Roberts, is one of these professional activists. Ms Roberts moved to Mackay from Melbourne three years ago—and my, my, how things have changed down at Mackay Conservation Group since.

She is a veteran environmental activist from Friends of the Earth in Victoria; she was on their management committee. In 2012, she was part of Climate Action Moreland, which campaigned to shut down the Hazelwood coal-fired power station in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. In 2010, she was spokeswoman for the Camp for Climate Action protest, which saw two protesters chain themselves by their necks to the Hunter Valley conveyer belt carrying coal to the Bayswater power station north-west of Sydney. At the time of that action, Ellen Roberts said:

The purpose of the action was to take direct action against coal infrastructure.

That was her purpose then and that is her purpose now: taking direct action against coal and the jobs that coal creates

She is basically an agent provocateur of the vast extreme green network, who has been sent into our community to manufacture dissent, to divide the community and to pit neighbour against neighbour and mate against mate—the likes of which we have never seen in our community before. On behalf of the business owners in Mackay who are struggling and on behalf of the mining and construction workers who are desperate for work, I would like to suggest to Ms Roberts that it is time for her to move on.

She was not the only member of the vast extreme green network who infiltrated the Mackay Conservation Group. There was also Jack Redpath, a University of Tasmania student council environmental officer and founder of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, who was sent to Mackay. There was also Ahri Tallon, who was also heavily involved in the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Ahri, it seems, has even taken a law course in activism. An article in The Australian last year referred to Mr Tallon as an environmental serial offender:

… showing up repeatedly as part of public actions.

The article referred to backing organisations such as Lock the Gate, Greenpeace, 350.org and GetUp! and stated:

Activists move from site to site to add their protest expertise to a range of causes, often engaging in civil disobedience activities and providing the infrastructure for others to join the cause. …

Ahri Tallon from Queensland has shared his campaigning skills across organisations in Queensland and NSW after training as an activist …

The activities of the vast extreme green network raise some serious questions. Why should these activists who are not directly affected by a project have any legal standing in the courts to derail such job-creating projects? Why should groups who seek to divide the community, destroy jobs and wage political campaigns and legal warfare enjoy the benefit of tax deductibility status? Why should they be the beneficiaries of state government donations, such as the $50,000 that the current Labor government in Queensland gave to the Mackay Conservation Group in their budget? Why, indeed. These are the questions that this government is going to address.

House adjourned at 17 : 00