Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to start with huge congratulations to the New South Wales Blues on a magnificent victory in the State of Origin last night. The State of Origin is, of course, one of Australian sport's greatest rivalries. New South Wales and Queensland have been pitted against each other since the 1980s and for us in New South Wales it is often a long time between celebrations, but last night was hopefully a very good omen.

The point of raising the State of Origin this morning is really to highlight the fact that at least that is a contest that takes place on a level playing field. Notwithstanding moments of individual talent and sporting brilliance, those teams play to the same rules. They stand a fair and equal chance of succeeding. Sadly, I cannot say the same for the Turnbull government's modus operandi. The government seem determined to invest $1 billion of precious taxpayer's money into the Adani Carmichael mine in Central Queensland. Madam Deputy Speaker Bird, I know that, coming from your region, you would understand just what kind of impact that will have on regional jobs in the state of New South Wales. Let's be clear, there is no greater direct and existential threat to jobs in my region, the Newcastle and Hunter region, than this proposal before the government now. Whilst I acknowledge that the people of Central Queensland and North Queensland, like people in my region, are very keen to have jobs in the area—I do not dismiss the value of those jobs in any way, shape or form—I contest the use of very precious taxpayer's dollars to subsidise an industry that creates jobs in one part of Australia at the expense of jobs in another.

This is not about new job creation; this is about a literal transfer of jobs from the region of Newcastle and the Hunter Valley into Central Queensland. That is not a plan for jobs and growth, which is what this government is putting up. This is a very cruel con. For those people who have concerns, on either an environmental or a jobs basis, about this mine going forward, there are a lot of questions before this parliament that need to be answered before the government goes spending $1 billion, which is the equivalent of $714,000 per job, because there are fewer than 1,400 jobs on offer.