Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

It does face challenges, but I want to start by talking about the support our mining sector receives, and the opening up of the Galilee is supported by the Queensland Labor government and supported by eight regional councils and their mayors, representing more than 500,000 North Queenslanders. It is supported by trade unions. Ben Swan from the Australian Workers' Union says:

Our full support and full weight is behind this development if it means regional jobs are created.

It is supported by Peter Lamps, the Australian Workers' Union secretary in South Australia as well, because of those jobs in South Australia. The only question mark for me is: where does the Australian Labor Party, here in Canberra, stand on the development of our resources sector? Do they support steelmaking jobs in Whyalla? Do they support more jobs in North Queensland in our resources sector? That is the challenge facing the project right now. We are waiting for an answer, but there are still just question marks from the other side.