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

Members on this side of the chamber and in the other place are not embarrassed about talking to people who work in the coal industry. We regularly go and talk to them, including Adani, who have opened up the only headquarters of a mining company in a regional town. You'd think the party that calls itself the Labor Party would be going to meet labourers and workers, but on Mr Shorten's recent holiday visit to North Queensland—funded by the Australian Conservation Foundation—he literally flew over the Carmichael mine site and landed at the Doongmabulla Springs and had a look at the springs but didn't meet any people. I have been to the springs. They are important springs and we should protect them, but we should also protect people. We think springs are important but we also think jobs are important. We think birds are important, but we also think people are important. That's the approach that a proper party that wants to represent this nation would take.