Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I withdraw. The alternative approach has been to replace the member for Hunter with the member for Chifley. I welcome the member for Chifley to the shadow portfolio, but I thought I should do some research and see what it is that made the member for Chifley tick with regards to the resources sector. Now, what did we find? What is it that we think is one of the greatest achievements of the member for Chifley? I'm assuming he considers it a greatest achievement; he said he was very proud to be part of it. He was very proud to be part of a government that introduced a carbon tax, something that would destroy regional Australia and all the jobs in the resources sector and electricity generation. In 2018 the member said, 'it doesn't make economic sense any more to have coal-fired power'. I would say to the member: there are an awful lot of people out there employed in the coal-fired sector. They are delivering cheap, affordable, reliable energy into regional Australia. They are driving heavy industry. They are ensuring we keep an aluminium sector and a manufacturing sector. And they're out working hard, and we should be out there supporting them. So I say to the member for Chifley: be loud and proud about the resources sector. Hopefully you won't be overrun by the left flank like the member for Hunter—overrun by your own individuals in your own party. And I thank the member for Hunter for the association that we've had over recent months in his role as the shadow minister.

See this speech in context