Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unlike those opposite, I do not shudder when I say the word coal. I do not cringe and I definitely don't bite my tongue. Coal is not a dirty word. However, for several years, it has been portrayed by Labor, the Greens and the teals as one. Why, you may ask. That is a great question, because all I think of when I think of coal is jobs, communities, industry, mum-and-dad businesses, royalties and the backbone of this country's wealth. There is absolutely nothing dirty about that, is there?

Last week, I grasped the opportunity to attend the 2024 Australian coal industry event, and I was joined by several National Party colleagues and Liberal National state colleagues. I did not see any Labor colleagues, however, which certainly was not surprising, but it was disappointing to say the least. All I read about lately is state and federal Labor governments throwing money around like it's confetti. I also see them using the royalties from the coal industry as their spending money. Do you see them supporting the industry? Of course not, but they'll happily take their money. I'm proud to be the federal member of an electorate that services this billion-dollar industry, which supports thousands of families, schools, community organisations and my constituents, who just want to get ahead in life. Australia's prosperity is directly linked to the success of our coal industry, which has 42,500 direct employees and provides 300,000 indirect jobs. It injected $99.3 billion into our economy last year.

Coal is Australia's second-largest export after iron ore. It provides 47 per cent of Australia's electricity. That's right: 47 per cent of our electricity is produced using coal. It provides Australia with reliable and affordable baseload electricity, which is available 24/7, not just when the sun shines or the wind blows. Coal is critical in making steel, meaning that it is essential for building homes and infrastructure. However, the coal industry is being taxed to death, approval timelines have blown out, royalties are at a world-record high, there are massive offset requirements up to 10 times the land area and there is excessive green and red tape, making it simply not competitive to do business in Australia. We cannot rely on those opposite to bring about commonsense policies.

The coalition understands the importance of coal regionally, for this country and for the whole world. We will slash approval timeframes without compromising on standards. We will cap assessment timeframes and consult with industry. We will accredit the states and territories to provide approvals that meet Commonwealth requirements. We will defund the Environmental Defenders Office, because it's clear that they don't care about the environmental standards; they just want to kill mining projects. We'll stop the delays facing the resources sector. We will stop Australian jobs leaving this country. We want families to be able to afford to put little Sarah into dancing or little Jimmy into soccer. We want them to be able to travel and not to have to worry about where their next meal will come from.

Within the next year, Queenslanders and Australians will be presented with a choice. It will be a choice of ideology or a choice of sensible, practical policy. It's a decision that is yours and your neighbours'. You need to be very clear that the choice is yours. I will make special mention of Nick Jorss from Coal Australia, who, with his team, is working on improving the public understanding of the uses of coal. They will work with producers, suppliers, customers and employees to support the next generation of skilled workers by providing professional development and training opportunities.

We have shown that emission reductions are possible while maintaining our critically important coal sector. We will not take our coal industry for granted. We will make sure our royalties are going back into the regions that they're derived from. 'Coal' is not a dirty word. Without coal the lights go out. Without coalmining, Australia stops.