Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Xenophon, move:

That the Senate—

(a) commiserates with the 440 workers who will lose their jobs at the Leigh Creek coal mine and Port Augusta coal fired power stations, which are flagged for closure by 2018;

(b) recognises the outstanding leadership of the Repower Port Augusta Alliance and the Port Augusta City Council in working with the community to advocate for solar thermal to replace the outdated coal power stations;

(c) acknowledges solar thermal presents great employment opportunities, as well as economic, health and environmental benefits for the Port Augusta community; and

(d) calls on the Federal and South Australian governments to assist the Port Augusta community in transitioning to a clean energy future, providing jobs and security for the region.

Bob Day (SA, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Bob Day (SA, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I genuinely commiserate with these 400 plus people who have lost their jobs in Port Augusta, Leigh Creek and the Mid North region of my home state of South Australia, but I do not accept for one second the Greens' false empathy and crocodile tears inherent in this motion. The closure of these baseload-energy-producing enterprises is not a consequence of Greens' energy policy—this was their objective. The Greens have made no secret at all of their determination to destroy the jobs and livelihoods of these energy workers. So, please, spare us the crocodile tears and stop destroying people's livelihoods.

Question agreed to.