Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ER () (): My question is to the Minister for Resources. Minister, you have previously said you supported Australia exporting coal beyond 2050. This week the boss of the oil and gas corporation fracking the giant climate bomb in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo basin said they would be able to pump gas for 'hundreds of years'. Minister, does the government still support exporting coal beyond the middle of this century, and do you support the pumping of gas for hundreds of years?

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Griffith for his question. The truth is—and the Prime Minister and this government have always said this—the decision about whether coal will be exported by this country and bought by others will be made in boardrooms around the world, particularly in North Asia; it won't necessarily be made by us. This is an export industry that, indeed, has been operating in this country since, I believe, 1801. This is a long-term industry that supports tens of thousands of people and communities right up and down the east coast. To disregard them, as you tend to do, Member for Griffith and your comrades, is disingenuous to those communities—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll hear from the member for Griffith on a point of order.

Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance—just trying to find out if the government supports exporting coal or not. Baseless accusations about the Greens policy on coal and gas—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order or how a point of order should be taken. Because the member is new, I will let that one slide. The minister is being relevant. It is not an opportunity to restate a question or to make another statement.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was just pointing out to the member for Griffith the history of this country and the very important export industry of this country—and it will remain a future export industry of this country. The member would do well, along, again, with his friends and colleagues, to maybe visit some of the communities up and down the east coast so they could see exactly the hard work that goes into the coal export industry. The member for Hunter is a former coalminer and worked in the coal industry. I've been down a longwall coalmine with him, and I saw the very hard work and the communities this supports. As for gas, gas exports are very important to this country—not only to towns like Karratha, Onslow, Broome and Darwin; they are also very important to our regional neighbours. We know that countries across North Asia depend upon Australia for their energy security. This country will remain a reliable and trustworthy supplier of energy to our Asian neighbours and to our region for as long as we need to be.