Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Hansard source

If Australia stops approving new coal projects, we will not change the weather—far from it. Of what benefit is the blind pursuit of net zero if it destroys jobs, reduces state and federal government revenue, devastates country towns and lowers our quality of life? The mining industry, overall, generated $455 billion of export revenue last year. That is almost two-thirds of all export revenue for our nation. How would we pay for the NDIS? How would we pay for social security? How are we going to fill the budget black hole? You can't pay the bills with virtue, unfortunately, because if you could, we'd be paying for it many times over, from what I have heard from the people opposite. If the Greens get their way we will all be broke and, unfortunately, we'll all be living in the dark. Thank you.