Labor would oppose ban on new coal mines: Wong

FEDERAL Labor would not have agreed to ban the creation of new coal mines as suggested by some small Pacific Island nations when leaders from the region met this week.

Opposition frontbencher Penny Wong has confirmed her party wouldn’t have made such a commitment.

“Of course not,” she ABC’S Insiders yesterday.

“Coal remains an important industry for Australia and it remains part of the global energy mix.”

The Pacific Islands Forum told ended with a statement calling on major economies to “rapidly implement their commitment to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”.

Many of the forum members had wanted to single out coal-fired power for its impact on the climate.

But the language was rejected in the final document, with Australia taking a tough approach to negotiations.

Small island states had also called for an immediate global ban on new coal-fired power plants and coal mines.

Senator Wong said coal was just one matter Pacific Island nations were concerned about, accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government of failing on other scores.

“The point is, these negotiations proceeded on the basis of an Australian government that did not understand or respect the importance of climate to Pacific Island nations,” she said.

“(It) did not bring to the table any realistic policies to reduce emissions, which is the core of what we should be doing as a responsible nation.” There have been concerns about China exerting its influence in the region and Senator Wong said the way the forum played out won’t help Australia be seen by its neighbours as a “partner of choice”.

“I think we have diminished our influence in the Pacific with our refusal to take climate change seriously.”

Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama launched a scathing attack on Mr Morrison on Saturday over his attitude towards the Pacific islands. He said the Australian leader had been “very insulting and condescending” during the leaders retreat.

“I thought Morrison was a good friend of mine, apparently not,” he said.

Back on home soil, Mr Morrison said Australia had the deepest engagement and biggest commitment in the world to the Pacific.

“We’re there for the difficult conversations, we’re there for every type of conversation with our Pacific family,” he said.