Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Canavan. Can the minister please advise the Senate what is standing in the way of the development of Adani Carmichael mine and opening up the Galilee Basin?

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

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for his question. It's certainly not the market for coal at the moment. That is not standing in the way of the development of new coalmining ventures in this country, because the market for coal has started very strongly this year. We had the noted international expert on coal economics, Mr Bill Shorten, out there on the weekend, saying that the world coal market doesn't appear to have great economics for opening up a mine, when in fact the coal market this year has hit new highs, with the thermal price at the moment being $107, up more than double since last year. The coking coal prices are $220 a tonne, more than doubled in the past two years. This is good news for Australia, and any aspiring Prime Minister, you would think, would have a little bit of an understanding of the economics of our second-biggest export industry, but it's clear Mr Shorten knows nothing about coalmining or working in the coalmining sector.

He also came out last week and said that he's increasingly sceptical about the Adani Carmichael coalmine in North Queensland. I don't dispute that Mr Shorten is genuinely increasingly sceptical. He is increasingly sceptical of his chances of winning the by-election of Batman. Because he's increasingly sceptical about that, he wants to trade off jobs in North Queensland to help him win a few votes in Melbourne.

The Carmichael mine is 2,000 kilometres away, in North Queensland. It's an area where jobs growth fell by 10,000. Employment growth fell by 10,000 in that region last year, and Mr Shorten wants to make their pain even greater by putting into question this project, which on its own could deliver 10,000 jobs and thousands of others. He is trading off the interests of his own Queensland representatives to try and win a by-election in Melbourne. It is behaviour unfit for someone who wants to lead this nation and should be condemned.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale on a point of order?

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

A point of order: I think I rose to my feet just before Senator Canavan misled the Senate by stating '10,000 jobs', when we know Adani themselves have said it's only about a thousand.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order, Senator Di Natale. Please resume your seat. That is not a point of order and you know that. Senator O'Sullivan, do you have a supplementary question?

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Can the minister please inform the Senate of the type of support the project has?

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

This project is widely supported by the people of Queensland. There are people from all different backgrounds who support this project. Indeed, there's a bloke called Senator Murray Watt who in October 2016 said that state and federal Labor have always supported jobs in mining. Well, up until that date perhaps they had. He went on to say, 'We also support the Adani mining project,'—Senator Watt, thank you for your support for the Adani mining project—'provided it meets environmental requirements'. He went on to say, 'This is a massive project and it's got the potential to create thousands of jobs, which will be fantastic for regional Queensland'. Mr Shorten hasn't been talking to Senator Watt for a while, or if he has he hasn't had much influence. Senator Chisholm, as well, said, 'The only people who lose in this'—this was while the native title laws were being debated last year—'are the people of Central and North Queensland, who are looking to this vital project as an economic opportunity for our region.' Why don't these guys stand up now and back their words with action?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan, a final supplementary question.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What benefits could the Adani mine and the opening of the Galilee Basin bring to our home state of Queensland?

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

As I was saying, there have been good economic times for our nation, with more than 400,000 jobs being created last year, the highest on record in one calendar year. But, in the Fitzroy area, where this mine is, employment has fallen by 10,000 over the last year. That's why we want to get going projects that actually deliver jobs for these people. Others in this chamber want to ignore those jobs and the requirements of those people, but we want to seem them get going. This mine will deliver 10,000 jobs in direct and indirect benefits to our region, according to modelling. It will create just over 3,000 jobs in construction straight away, in direct jobs. There are five other mines that could be opened up if the Galilee Basin is opened and that would create more than 15,000 direct jobs in mining, not including the other jobs created, according to the Queensland government. This is a veritable jobs bonanza for our region if we can open up a new coal basin. That's what good government should be doing. We should be spreading economic opportunity around our region, and that's why we are supporting this project.