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

Despite the views of the shadow minister for climate change, in fact the outlook for the coal industry, and particularly the Australian coal industry, is a fantastic one. It's fantastic because the growing demand for energy in our region means that countries will continue to demand high-quality resources, and we are lucky enough to have been blessed with some of the highest quality coal in the world. So, that will continue to be a very strong industry for our nation, as long as we allow it to do what it does best.

Indeed, the International Energy Agency predicts that in the next 20 years or so, or by 2040, demand for thermal coal will grow by almost 500 million tonnes of coal equivalent. The Australian industry only produces about 250 million tonnes of coal a year, including our domestic needs. So it's an incredible opportunity for our nation to capture—if we support these jobs and support these regions, and, of course, if we also continue to provide high-quality energy to the rest of the world.