Wagner takes on activists
Businessmen had enough of destructive anti-mining protesters
SELF-MADE Queensland titans have urged businesses to stand up to shouty 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 yesterday urged the Prime Minister to widen new laws targeting vegans storming farms - with jail terms of up to 12 months - to include the “anarchists” who block coal trains and target resources-aligned businesses.
Cement king John Wagner and Sentinel Property baron Warren Ebert - 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”.
Mr Wagner, Mr Ebert and their businesses have regularly been in the crosshairs of protesters, but have refused to take a backward step.
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 said he gave it back to them, labelled them “hypocrites” who forgot they were charging their phone with electricity from coal.
Asked if he was considering changing his number he said: “Why should I have to change my number because of these people?
“They are entitled to their view, but they should not be breaking the law,’’ Mr Wagner said, referring to those trespassing and chaining themselves to port and rail infrastructure. “I support what Macca wants to do.”
Mr Ebert said he was sick of anti-Adani protesting outside Adani’s Townsville’s headquarters, which Sentinel owned.
“They (anti-Adani activists) go in and terrorise people, yelling and screaming. People get upset,” he said.
Mr Ebert, who wrote to then police commissioner Ian Stewart earlier this year to demand protesters be charged if they set foot on his property, said he had no problem giving the activists a serve back.
“I tell them to piss off and leave our property. They are feral-looking bastards who have no respect for the business of the economy. They are trespassing and should be charged.”
He said that while he had inhouse lawyers and resources to take on the activists, it was harder for smaller businesses as they could not afford the disruption.