Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

As the former shadow minister for Northern Australia, I don't require a folder for this answer, but I thank you for the question, Senator McDonald. I think it's well understood that the Labor Party's position in relation to any resource project—coal, gas or any other mineral—is that we assess it on its merits. We do not have the same position as the Greens, which is a blanket ban. We do not have the position of the opposition, which is to support every single project without having a look at the environmental or economic benefits of it. We have a sensible approach.

Our position is very simple. If a particular project stacks up economically, environmentally and socially, then it will go ahead. Every project will go through the proper assessment proposals. Every project has to stack up economically, and every project has to pass the environmental test and get the environmental approvals. The projects that you're talking about are hypothetical in nature at this point in time, but should those projects be applied for then we will consider them on their merits.