Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Minister Canavan. I refer to reports on a major current affairs program on Sunday night that concluded that the Great Barrier Reef is on life support and, without urgent intervention, its days are numbered. There are now reports that every reef between Townsville and Cairns has bleached. So, Minister, I ask you this question: what is the threshold for walking away from funding the Adani mine and does every piece of coral need to die before you step in to stop this climate-destroying, jobs-killing, polluting coalmine?

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

I thank Senator Di Natale for his question. I too share concerns about the health of the Great Barrier Reef. I live on the Great Barrier Reef. The people of North Queensland want to see the Great Barrier Reef protected and thrive because it is such an important asset for our community both in economic terms and in environmental terms. No-one wants to do harm to the reef, Senator Di Natale. But I would point out that in terms of our mining sector and Australia's coalmining contribution we do have some of the highest quality coals in the world. It is important that our coals are available for use, because the rest of the world will still use coal-fired power, Senator Di Natale. They will simply be using coals of lower energy intensity. They will have to burn more for every unit of electricity, and there will be more carbon emissions as a result of that, which is something I am sure you do not want and we do not want either.

That is not just my view; it is not just the view of the Australian government. It is also the view of the Queensland Supreme Court, where this issue came up. Green activities took these concerns to the court and Justice McMurdo said that, if the mine that is the Adani mine proceeded, it would not increase the amount of global greenhouse gasses or any environmental impact resulting from those gasses. As a second respondent submitter, the finding of the Land Court was not that there was replacement harm but that there would be the same or greater harm if the mine did not proceed than if it did proceed. Senator Di Natale, that is pretty clear. That is the view of the Queensland Supreme Court, which rightfully and properly refers to the fact that, if we do not supply coal to the rest of the world, other people will, other countries will—mines in Indonesia will, mines in South Africa will, mines in India will and mines in China will as well. We are lucky that God has given us a very high quality coal, and we should make it available to the rest of the world to provide power to help other economies create economic growth and also to lower their environmental impact from higher quality coals.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a supplementary question.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Drug dealers also argue that if they do not sell their product someone else will. Adani and government spruikers for the Carmichael coal project claim tens of thousands of jobs will be created by the project, but when they were forced—

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on my right! Senator Di Natale, commence your question again.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Adani and government spruikers for the Carmichael coal project claim that tens of thousands of jobs will be created by the project, but when they were forced to take an oath before the court they had to admit it was only 1,400 jobs. Compare that with the 70,000 tourism jobs along the Great Barrier Reef, if the project goes ahead and the reef dies. Has the minister held discussions with the Queensland tourism industry on this, and are they happy to lose 48 jobs for every one job created in Central Queensland?

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

Yes, I have spoken to the Queensland tourism industry about these issues, but I reject the premise of your question, Senator Di Natale, that somehow these two things are inconsistent. The tourism industry you refer to is very important to the North Queensland economy, and it has largely been built up alongside and in parallel with significant increases in coalmining in Queensland. We have developed that tourism industry, alongside the developments in the Bowen Basin, alongside the coal developments in the Surat Basin. I would posit to you, Mr President, they are not completely unrelated. We have many beautiful areas in this country, and the Great Barrier Reef is a prime one, but a key driver of a strong tourism sector will be to have strong residential communities close to those sectors that are able to holiday there and go there. The fact that our mining sector brings thousands of people to Central Queensland, thousands of people to North Queensland, allows our tourism industry to market their services to those people who have a job, who can afford to go to the reef and actually enjoy the wonderful splendour that exists there. (Time expired)

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Reports today indicate that you, minister, are looking at stopping environment groups who are campaigning against Adani by limiting their tax deductibility status. Is this an acknowledgement that the so-called champions of free speech now have to resort to muzzling environment groups if they are going to see this coalmine get off the ground and protect their big donor mates?

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

The senator might not be aware, but there has been in the last year a House of Representatives inquiry making recommendations about those tax deductions, and recommendations were supported by both major parties in limiting or redefining those deductions. I will leave the relevant minister to comment further on that report, but obviously it is under consideration in terms of a response. I also think in today's paper another interesting fact is that people support building coal-fired power stations. They like the fact that coal produces cheap power, reliable power, that provides jobs and that can also be environmentally sustainable. Indeed, what I found interesting is that 15 per cent of Greens supporters also want the federal government to fund coal-fired power stations. They are obviously not listening to Senator Di Natale. I think they are in the Senator Rhiannon faction of the Greens, because good Stalinists love coal! You do not create a communist state without coal. You do not create the Industrial Revolution and a proletariat without coal.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Pause the clock. Senator Di Natale, a point of order.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan made an unparliamentary statement towards one of our colleagues, and I would ask him to withdraw.

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on my right! I do not believe the statement was unparliamentary, Senator Di Natale. Senator Canavan, have you concluded your remarks?

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

Yes, I have concluded.