Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. Minister, as you are aware, my stance on the yet to be constructed Adani rail line is that it should be built and funded by both Queensland and Australian governments based on the billions of dollars profit it will generate for many years to come. Queensland's Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk until recently supported the rail being built by Adani and being partially funded by Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility for approximately $1 billion. Do you believe the Premier's reluctance to support the loan now is due to conflict of interest regarding her partner or has she used this as a political tool to get Greens preferences, regardless of the thousands of jobs that will be lost in Queensland?

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong on a point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order. I ask you to consider whether that question is in order. It is asking for an opinion, clearly, 'Do you believe?' and it is asking for an opinion about what is in the mind of the state Premier.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Senator Brandis.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan is the minister for northern Australia. This goes directly, directly, to the circumstances in which a decision may or may not be made which will bear upon the operation of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and the development of a major project, creating up to 10,000 jobs in northern Australia.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Senator Wong. You get precedence over Senator Cameron, if you wish. Senator Cameron.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is on this issue. Senator Brandis indicated that this is in order. It's not in order to ask for opinions. The minister can have no idea what's in people's minds.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, it was a lengthy question and there were a number of questions contained within it. Ministers are well aware of the restrictions upon questions and the minister is entitled to answer as to government intentions and government policy. Senator Wong, on the point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We accept your ruling. I ask you, Mr President, if you would review the Hansard after question time. There were a lot of words but the only question that was actually asked was a question of opinion of this minister about what was in the mind of the Premier, and that cannot, in my submission, be in order.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I will do that. On other occasions, when a senator has not got to a question before the end of the allotted time, we have allowed a minister to answer the preface to the question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm making a different point.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate that. I will look at the Hansard. The minister is aware of the restrictions upon what questions can be asked.

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

I thank Senator Hanson for that very important question on a very important project.

I can understand the Labor Party's reluctance to have this issue discussed at all this week in this place. It is only the most important job-creating project in the State of Queensland and certainly for North Queensland. But I will make a prediction. I predict this: we're only how far? We're half an hour from the end of question time this week, and I don't think the Labor Party will ask one question this week about jobs in Queensland. Not one question about the most important job-creating project in Queensland at the moment! Not one question about what they want to do to help create jobs in Queensland! That's because they're running to hide. They're hiding from the embarrassment that is the Queensland government right now when it comes to creating jobs in Queensland. So, I welcome Senator Hanson's question about this important project. I acknowledge that we both support it and want to see the Galilee Basin opened up.

I thought that until a few weeks ago the Queensland Labor government were on side too—and I want them to be on side. I want important nation-building projects in this country to be bipartisan. We should be able to work together to create these kinds of opportunities and jobs. I thought they did, because a few months ago or early last year the Queensland government wrote to the federal government, saying that we should look to use NAIF funds—the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility funds—to fund the Galilee Basin rail line. That's what they said. Behind the scenes they were encouraging Adani. They were saying: 'Please apply to the NAIF. Don't apply here to us; go down to Canberra and get the funds there.' And then they led Adani and the people of North Queensland down the garden path.

Then, a few weeks ago, the Premier came out and said that she had to veto and oppose this project. That was an act of betrayal against the interests of jobseekers in North Queensland. And, worse, she used an excuse that didn't even stack up—didn't even subject it to closer scrutiny. It was not even correct and she tried to mislead and misconstrue it to the Queensland people.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A supplementary question, Senator Hanson.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hence, my question is: will the lack of funding for the railway line jeopardise the Adani mine going ahead, and the loss of jobs and royalties along with it to Queensland?

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

I cannot answer that question precisely. I do very much hope that this project withstands the chopping and changing of policy positions from the Queensland Labor government. But, of course, we're trying to attract billions of dollars of investment to this country and that requires governments that have a certain level of consistency and longstanding support for a job-creating project. You cannot chop and change your position to a company that wants to invest billions of dollars and expect it to have no impact at all.

What is worse, as I was saying, the Premier tried to claim that she had to veto this project because of the conflict of interest with her partner. But then it was revealed what the advice to her about this perceived conflict of interest was from the Integrity Commissioner. The Integrity Commissioner said that her preferred option was for the Premier to declare a conflict of interest to the CBRC and to, 'Exclude yourself from decisions'. She acted directly against that advice and directly against the interests of the Queensland people.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A final supplementary question, Senator Hanson?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One Nation does support the mine and One Nation does support the rail line, but it should be owned by the people of Australia. So, if One Nation gains the balance of power in Queensland, will you work with the Queensland government to provide funds to the people of Queensland to build and own the line?

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

The first point to make is that that is a hypothetical question, Senator Hanson. Under the terms of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—

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

I'm not making a point of order, Senator Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I'm making the point of order!

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

Well, go for it!

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, on a point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my point of order is that if it's a hypothetical question it's clearly outside of the standing orders.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't hear the question as being hypothetical. The minister's answer is in order.

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

Under the terms of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, which this parliament approved last year, loans can be provided to projects but equity cannot, Senator Hanson. The proposal before the NAIF that was, as I said, applied for by the Queensland government and that was encouraged by the Queensland government is for a loan to help open up this investment.

Now, we can reasonably disagree about how this should happen, but I just want to see the jobs happen. I just want to see this opportunity come to North Queenslanders. Now that we're so close to making this happen, it has been threatened and put at risk by the actions of the Queensland Labor Party. The Premier of Queensland has admitted that she has a conflict with the creation of jobs in North Queensland. I would suggest to the Queensland people that there is one easy way to remove that conflict of interest and that is to remove the Queensland Premier! If we remove the Queensland Premier, the conflict of interest against jobs is gone and we can get on with it, create these jobs and create economic opportunity in North Queensland. (Time expired)