Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware that the ACIL Tasman modelling also shows that the government's carbon tax would force the premature closure of 17 per cent of existing black-coal mines in Australia and put at risk some 21,000 coalmining jobs? Can the minister explain how this tax, which the people of Queensland and Australia voted against, is good for workers, contractors and small businesses in Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville, Emerald and Moranbah whose very existence depends upon Central Queensland black-coal mines?