Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

The decision by the Labor members of the Newcastle City Council is extraordinarily irresponsible, short-sighted and indulgent. Coal is the basis of the entire Newcastle and Hunter Valley economy as well as the source of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in export earnings for Australia. It should be noted that the decision by the Newcastle City Council was led by the Labor members on council, which begs the question of where the federal Labor Party stands on this issue. Will they publicly condemn a decision made by their own members that will jeopardise the jobs of the thousands of workers of the Hunter Valley and the wider Newcastle area or will they, by their silence, support the Greens' economy-destroying and jobs-destroying policies?