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

Thank you to Senator McGrath for his question. He knows and those of us on this side know how important the resources sector is to the great state of Queensland and, indeed, how important it is to the nation. It is one of the most important sectors in Queensland because it employs 300,000 Queenslanders in both direct and indirect jobs. Brisbane is the biggest mining town in Queensland, with 128,000 people living in Brisbane owing their livelihoods, owing their jobs, to a strong resources sector.

That is what we on this side of politics want to see and promote because it delivers so much wealth to the state. It delivers wealth to regional areas as well, such as where I'm from in Fitzroy in Central Queensland. The resources industry employs 10,000 people, paying $1.2 billion a year in wages. That works out to be $120,000 a year on average for each of those workers, and the mining industry pays the highest wages on average of any industry in this country by far.

We want to support that industry, but unfortunately there are moves afoot by the Queensland government to impose a massive new cost on the Queensland resources sector just as some green shoots are emerging in that sector. The Queensland government is considering strengthening rehabilitation laws in that state. I should say up-front that the industry supports stronger laws for rehabilitation. Our government supports state governments properly regulating rehabilitation laws. The problem is that secret amendments, amendments that have not been put through public scrutiny, are being negotiated and pushed by Jackie Trad against the resources sector. It is clear that the agenda here is to hurt the mining sector and to hurt mining jobs, not to protect the environment. That is what is going on.

We learned today that a report by Ernst & Young shows that 16 mines are at high risk and 11 mine owners could be insolvent if these laws go through. But we're hearing nothing from the Labor Party, who are meant to represent workers. We are hearing absolutely nothing defending these jobs in Central Queensland.