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

As I was saying, there have been good economic times for our nation, with more than 400,000 jobs being created last year, the highest on record in one calendar year. But, in the Fitzroy area, where this mine is, employment has fallen by 10,000 over the last year. That's why we want to get going projects that actually deliver jobs for these people. Others in this chamber want to ignore those jobs and the requirements of those people, but we want to seem them get going. This mine will deliver 10,000 jobs in direct and indirect benefits to our region, according to modelling. It will create just over 3,000 jobs in construction straight away, in direct jobs. There are five other mines that could be opened up if the Galilee Basin is opened and that would create more than 15,000 direct jobs in mining, not including the other jobs created, according to the Queensland government. This is a veritable jobs bonanza for our region if we can open up a new coal basin. That's what good government should be doing. We should be spreading economic opportunity around our region, and that's why we are supporting this project.