Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure) Share this | Hansard source

I rise proudly to oppose this motion, because it is all crocodile tears from the government, who don't care a single iota for a single coalminer in this country. I have had the privilege of representing two seats in this parliament, the first named after a Lambton coalminer who went on to lead the Australian Labor Party, and the second named after Lieutenant Shortland, who discovered coal in Australia, in Newcastle. So I'm proud to represent a coal region. I'm proud to represent the 18,000 coalminers who call the Hunter home, their families and the communities who depend upon them. I'm proud of that, and I back that up with actions, like every other Labor member who represents a coal community in this country, and unlike those on the other side, who use them as cheap debating props and a high-visibility opportunity but go missing when real action is required.

I've never seen a coalition MP at the northern coalfields miners memorial, which is held every year to commemorate the 1,800 men, women and children as young as 11 who have died mining coal in the northern districts of New South Wales, even though the members for New England and Parkes represent northern districts coalmines. I've never seen a single member of the coalition stand up for mine safety in this place. I've done a Hansard search over the last three parliaments. Not a single coalition member has talked about the black lung plague that is returning to this country, where we've seen around 30 miners in Queensland and one in the Hunter diagnosed with black lung. Over the last three parliaments, not a single coalition member has talked about mining deaths at all. The simple truth is that they do not care one iota for miners in this country. They use them as props; then they disappear when there is an opportunity to actually protect them.

The truth is that one of the greatest protections for miners in this country is strong unions. Strong unions drive safer workplaces, but those on the other side are intent on weakening unions, because they are intent on weakening workplace safety. You just have to look at their constant attacks on the CFMEU, of which the mining and energy division is a strong proponent.

See this speech in context