Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Hansard source

I will be clear on this: the energy transition being pushed by this Labor government is a reckless gamble with regional jobs. Those opposite want to rush headlong into a future they haven't properly engineered. They want to rely on technologies that still require the very resources that they are trying to demonise. But mining isn't going anywhere. It can't go anywhere. There is no such thing as commercially made green steel. If you need steel, you need Australian coal. If the world wants high-tech electronics, it needs the minerals that are extracted using coal powered energy. Those who think that food comes from the supermarket and energy comes from a wall socket don't have any understanding of the digging and doing that happen in regional electorates like Dawson.

This bill is about more than just long service leave; it's about respecting the service of the miners who have built this country. It's about respecting the expertise of the tradies in Paget. It's about respecting the economic reality that coal is and will remain an essential part of the global energy mix. Real respect for our miners would see a government that stops turning its back on Queensland. We want to see real investment in the Bruce Highway, not just intersection repairs that wash away in the first tropical downpour or money pledged that won't be spent in a decade. We want power prices that reflect our status as an energy-rich nation, not prices that force our manufacturers to look offshore.

To the coalminers living in the greatest electorate of Dawson my message is simple: I know how hard you work and I know how much you sacrifice. This bill needs to ensure that your time is counted and your leave is protected. I also know that you are worried about the future. You are worried about this Albanese Labor government, which seems more interested in pleasing inner-city elites than in supporting regional workers who pay the bills. I will continue to be your voice. I will continue to point out the hypocrisy of those who want to use coal to build their green future while calling for that very same industry to be shut down. Let's get this legislation right. Let's ensure the records are accurate, the payments are fair and the future of the Bowen Basin is as bright as the coal is black. I support the bill, but I demand the scrutiny our workers deserve. Do not let this be a surface level fix. We must drill down until we are sure that all coalmining communities are getting the fair go they were promised. I commend the bill to the house.

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