Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. As one of the only regional senators in Queensland, I am constantly hearing about the need for more jobs in regional Queensland, particularly the opportunities for more jobs and investment for the Galilee Basin. Minister, what sort of support is the development of the Galilee Basin receiving?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for his question and his long interest in developing the resources of Queensland, including our world-class coal resources. Many Queenslanders support Senator O'Sullivan and me in our quest to get these resources developed so we can provide jobs and income for the Queensland people.

Senator Williams interjecting—

Yes, Senator Williams—through you, Mr President—including a former CFMEU delegate and Labor Party candidate at the last state election, Michael Brunker. He's standing up for his people, one of the few Queensland Labor people standing up for his people. He said this morning:

To win one seat in frickin Melbourne, they have wiped out their chances of two or three seats here in the coal belt.

…   …   …

I'm an old unionist too … I grew up in the mines … for her—

that is, Ged Kearney—

to sit there in Melbourne and basically wipe us, to forget about the guys in the mining industry, it's just disgraceful.

That is from the words of a Labor candidate at the Queensland election just months ago. He knows the Labor Party have now forgotten them. They are seeking to wipe them out just to win a seat in Melbourne. Jim Pearce, also a former CFMEU delegate and a state member of parliament for the Australian Labor Party, said:

There is strong support for the mine—

that is, the Carmichael mine—

going ahead in this region and I think anybody relying on support from that area would be fooling themselves if they go against the mine.

But that is what the Australian Labor Party want to do now. They are going against the interests of Queensland to line up in Batman.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bill Shorten, said yesterday these are all fake jobs—they're fake jobs, right? Well, actually these are real jobs in North and Central Queensland, and the only thing coming out of the Leader of the Opposition's mouth is fake news, because he's a fake leader who can't stand up to the left faction in his party. He is no longer a leader, because he is just following the tune of the Greens in Melbourne to try and win votes there while he forgets about and wipes out the people of North Queensland.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan, a supplementary question?

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How are the efforts to develop the Galilee Basin already contributing to regional Queensland?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Already the development of the Galilee Basin is employing people. It can employ a lot more if the project proceeds and gets going. Yesterday the Adani company confirmed they're employing 800 people right now. They're employing 235 people in the job-starved town of Townsville, a town that's desperate for jobs. A lot of those people in their Townsville office, some of whom I've met, have moved themselves and their families from Brisbane to Townsville because Adani moved their headquarters there.

These are the people that Bill Shorten wants to put out of a job. He wants to put them and their families out of a job after they've upturned their life to move to Townsville for a new opportunity. I think that's disgraceful. It's not just the mine, though: John Wagner, a businessman in Toowoomba, is employing 15 people at the moment. He says that he can employ 100 more if the project goes ahead. I want those hundred jobs for the Toowoomba region—as I'm sure Senator O'Sullivan does.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan, a final supplementary question.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What further benefits could the opening of the Galilee Basin bring to regional Queensland?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the development of a mine like this creates economic opportunity right around Queensland and places like Queensland, but also right around Australia as well, because Adani have committed to use Australian steel on their rail line. It will be one of the few mineral based rail lines in this country that use Australian steel. The steel would be from Whyalla, so the people of Whyalla will get more economic opportunity in South Australia from this.

You would think that a former president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions would support the steel industry and would support the coalmining sector, but, instead, she's down there in Melbourne lining up with the Greens to say no to all these thousands of jobs. It's an indictment of the current state of the Australian Labor Party. They were formed under a tree in Barcaldine and they used to represent the shearers. They used to represent the people who worked out in the bush, but now they're so busy sipping lattes in the inner city and lining up for acai bowls in Melbourne that they've forgotten about the jobs and the people in rural and regional Australia.