Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The current laws give CSG mining companies all the rights, even though governments know that the people do not want it and that CSG mining is harming their health, their land, their water and their livelihoods. How much money are these overseas CSG mining companies donating to political parties? The political parties are prepared to turn their backs on the needs of hard-working, decent Australians who desperately need help and are being so badly abused. These people need our help. They pay taxes. They, like all of us, expect governments to do the right thing, but governments do not do the right thing—far from it. They actually do the wrong thing. Who is speaking up for the people? It is not the large political parties; they have all been bought out. The only people standing up for the people of Australia and the interests of Australians are the crossbenchers, but because we are being problematic and are putting pressure on governments to do the right thing instead of working—