LABOR'S COAL WAR
HERBERT MP Cathy O’toole has slammed her State Government counterparts for “shifting the goalposts” on Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine. Her comments come as a Labor divide deepens over Australia’s coal mining future.
HERBERT MP Cathy O’toole has nailed her colours to the mast on the Adani project, sensationally demanding that the State Government stop “shifting the goalposts” and get out of North Queensland’s business.
Ms O’toole said North Queenslanders were “sick and tired” of the southeast-centric State Government making decisions on their behalf.
“The State Government needs to keep out of North Queensland’s business,” she said.
“It is unfair on business in our community for the goalposts (on the Adani project) to be constantly changing.
“It just seems that across the board in the southeast corner of Queensland they are telling us what jobs we can and can’t have — and that’s unfair and it simply has to stop.”
Mining giant Adani has been clashing with the State Government for weeks over a controversial external review into the company’s blackthroated finch management plan.
Adani has repeatedly criticised the “11th-hour” nature of the report and called into question its independence, considering the “anti-coal sentiments” of review chair Professor Brendan Wintle.
The company on Tuesday rejected in full the findings of the final report.
The Government has maintained the external review is part of due process.
The powerful Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) on Monday announced it would actively campaign against federal Labor candidates in the upcoming election if they did not pledge to support coalmining and the Adani project, putting at risk Labor’s hold on the ultra-marginal seat of Herbert.
Ms O’toole said she wanted the Adani issue dealt with for the business confidence of Townsville.
“I fought hard for the FIFO hub and jobs in Townsville, that is why Townsville now has a FIFO hub for this project,” she said.
“I have always welcomed jobs for Townsville and if this project stacks up, I say it goes ahead.
“I think it’s very clear, Australia makes the best steel in the world, if we want a steel industry we need coal, if we want a mobile phone we need coal.”
Ms O’toole’s comments come amid a growing rift within the Labor Party over Adani’s project and are in stark contrast to the position of federal frontbench Labor MP Richard Marles who yesterday said the death of thermal coal would be “wonderful”.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s mentor and former union leader Bill Ludwig in The Australian on Tuesday blamed a “few Lefties” within the State Government for politicising the Adani project, singling out Deputy Premier Jackie Trad.
Ms Trad dismissed the criticism and said the Carmichael mine was simply going through due process.
Ms O’toole’s criticism of the Government comes a day after business leaders blasted the three local MPS — Scott Stewart, Aaron Harper and Coralee O’rourke — for their inaction on progressing the Carmichael mine.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper yesterday said the “trial of local members in the paper” was wrong.
“I’ll back the resources sector 100 per cent, the Queensland Government will back the resources 100 per cent,” he said.
“An independent review has been conducted and I would encourage Adani to respond to it with their management plan, instead of leveraging politicians who should not interfere with statutory authority such as the Department of Environment in their deliberations on assessment of an independent review.”
Opposition resources spokesman and Burdekin MP Dale Last said the three local members shouldn’t hide behind the “throwaway line” that the Adani project needs to stack up environmentally and financially.
“The three local members can no longer hide behind the statement that this project needs to stack up environ-
I have always welcomed jobs for Townsville and if this project stacks up, I say it goes ahead. CATHY O’TOOLE ( RIGHT)
mentally and financially. The people of North Queensland need to know categorically if these three members support the project or not,” he said.
“Instead of continually kicking Adani in the guts, they need to give them a fair go.”
Adani has said it remains committed to delivering the Carmichael mine and will work closely with the Department of Environment and Science so its black-throated finch management plan can be green-lit.
The black-throated finch management plan is one of two environmental plans that need to be approved before operations can begin at the mine.
The other is Adani’s Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Management Plan (GDEMP), which the Federal Government has sent to the CSIRO and Geoscience Australia for external review.
The GDEMP will need to be signed off by both levels of government.