George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Australia believes in the coal industry. We believe in our own domestic coal industry. This is a very clear point of difference between the government and the political party that you represent, Senator Waters. We know that Australia produces some of the cleanest coal in the world. That coal is produced by a highly skilled workforce in accordance with world's best practice environmental standards. It is a very important source of prosperity for the Australian economy and a very important source of jobs for Australians—something, Senator Waters, that you seem to pay no heed to whenever you raise this issue. So the Australian government will continue to support the Australian coal industry. That is not a view, by the way, only shared on this side of the aisle. The Labor Party also supports the Australian coal industry. But you, Senator Waters, representing a party with an ideological zealotry about this issue, do not support the Australian coal industry. That is fine, but you go, Senator Waters, for example, to Central Queensland, which you are meant to represent in this chamber—