Push for PM to take on activists

SELF-MADE Queensland business leaders have urged businesses to stand up to climate change activists as Scott Morrison faces new pressure from his backbench and the resources industry to crack down on green protesters.

In a sign of growing frustration, Queensland Resources Council chief Ian Macfarlane is today urging the Prime Minister to widen new laws targeting vegans storming farms to include the “anarchists” who block coal trains and target resources-aligned businesses.

Cement king John Wagner and property baron Warren Ebert, of Sentinel Property, who are collectively worth more than $1 billion and proud supporters of Adani, are throwing their support behind Mr Macfarlane’s legal push.

And Australia’s largest rail freight operator, Aurizon, is also backing the plan, saying the activism has become too dangerous.

North Queensland MP George Christensen said he had lobbied Mr Morrison and his colleagues for the changes Mr Macfarlane was urging.

Mr Christensen will move a motion to have the plan adopted as official National Party policy at federal council in September.

It comes amid growing anger over “an extreme green website set up to “dob in a contractor working for Adani”.

Some activists have obtained the private mobile phone number of Mr Wagner and bombarded him with texts and calls, accusing him of “destroying the planet” and “making a profit at the expense of your grandchildren”.

Mr Wagner labelled them “hypocrites” who forgot they were charging their phone from electricity from coal.

Mr Ebert said he was sick of anti-Adani protesting outside Adani’s Townsville’s headquarters owned by Sentinel.

“They go in and terrorise people, yelling and screaming. People get upset,’’ he said.