O’Toole shouting opposition to mine
CATHY O’Toole was in Parliament last week. On Thursday during Question Time, which is televised live to the nation, the Federal Minister for Energy, Josh Frydenberg and several other ministers took Bill Shorten and Labor to task over their silence and lack of support for regional Queensland in failing to speak against and/ or resolve the revolt in the Queensland Government over the Carmichael mine led by Left- leaning socialist Deputy Premier Jackie Trad.
During his address several Labor MPs heckled and shouted interjections at him and the other ministers speaking against federal Labor’s inaction and among those Labor MPs being vocal was Ms O’Toole.
What a disgrace! Not only has she made it fairly clear she stands for Green city voting preferences instead of the mine and therefore employment in Townsville and regional Queensland she has publicly declared her opposition to it by her vocal objections to a Government minister who was standing up for it.
Well, I’m sure the electorate of Herbert will make sure she is also among the unemployed statistics after the next election. GAVIN MORSHEAD,
Idalia. AGRICULTURE Minister Bill Byrne has shown by his comments last week that he still doesn’t understand the sugar industry or appreciate the anguish that Wilmar- supplying growers have been through.
As the minister responsible for the industry which brings billions to the Queensland economy each year, using farmers and their campaign for future financial security as a weapon to attack the LNP is a new low.
Legislative change became the only recourse for our members when three sugar milling companies sought in 2014 to take monopoly control over sugar marketing services in their districts.
Does the minister support the profitability of corporate monopolies over and above the livelihoods of working families?
Far from the legislation heralding a decline in the sugar industry, mills and growers alike are investing and planning for the future.
All of the milling companies involved have formed the agreements that underpin this new, competitive and dynamic phase for the Queensland sugar industry. That Wilmar and QSL took as long as they did to reach this point is regrettable but they did reach it before the harvest begins – and now farmers, staff in mills and marketers are looking to sell Australian sugar to the world.
The season will start with our members, on whose hard work and investment this industry is built, confident that they can make the sugar marketing choice that they believe is best for their business. And that has to be good for the export earnings of Queensland! DAN GALLIGAN, Canegrowers CEO.