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

Last night, I attended the Minerals Council of Australia dinner in the Great Hall with approximately 400 other guests. CEO Tania Constable delivered a strong, passionate speech encompassing the hardships and challenges as well as the benefits the mining industry delivers to Australia by way of taxes, jobs and infrastructure in rural and regional areas. She acknowledged the Prime Minister and, in doing so, pleaded with him to support the industry, instead of making it harder to do business. It was a fantastic, factual and hard-hitting speech that resonated with her colleagues and me.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister's speech was disingenuous. He delivered what he thought the room wanted to hear, but his actions over the past two years speak volumes. I was disgusted, furious and angry at his hypocrisy, and so were many in the room. He has done so much damage to the mining industry since taking office, and there is further legislation yet to be passed, such as the Nature Positive Plan. This piece of legislation is ridiculous and will cause more stress and cost.

The PM spoke of consultation and an open-door policy, but nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone who consults is being required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Industrial relations, the safeguard mechanism, unions, Aboriginal overreach, net zero and climate change BS—all of this and more risks the destruction of an industry worth about $350 billion a year in taxes and royalties and about a million direct and indirect jobs.

The Prime Minister's refusal to overrule Tanya Plibersek's decision to ban the Blayney goldmine on baseless grounds and lies is a testament to his real attitude to mining. I must mention his destruction of the farming industry in Australia as well. Shutting down the live sheep export industry—considering we have the best practice in the world—is sheer bloody-mindedness. As I've said on many occasions, he's the worst PM this country has ever had, and the sooner he and his government are thrown out, the better for all of us.