Senate debates

Thursday, 8 February 2018

Motions

Mining

12:08 pm

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes, with concern, that the Adani Group (Adani) is on the record blatantly misrepresenting the number of jobs its polluting Carmichael coal mine would create;

(b) condemns Adani's deception in inflating its jobs figures sevenfold, until it was forced under oath to reveal that the true figure is in fact 1,464 direct and indirect jobs over the life of the project, rather than the 10 000 claimed;

(c) further notes that the carbon pollution from Adani's mine would significantly contribute to dangerous global warming, further endangering the Great Barrier Reef and the 70 000 jobs that rely on it; and

(d) asserts that, rather than relying on a polluting, deceitful company to provide jobs for Queenslanders, federal and state Governments should invest in renewable energy, service industries and manufacturing as the best drivers of Queensland jobs.

Photo of James McGrathJames McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of James McGrathJames McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

The statements in this motion are factually incorrect. The Adani Carmichael mine project has already created 800 jobs. The Queensland Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning has projected that in excess of 11,000 jobs will be created. Twelve court decisions have found environmental claims such as those in the motion to be without merit.

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

It was Adani themselves who were forced to correct their claim that the Adani mine would generate 10,000 jobs. Indeed, what we found was that, under oath, when Adani were forced to justify that claim, they were unable to do so. In fact, they had inflated that claim sevenfold. That was a statement made by Adani under oath.

This is a project that doesn't generate jobs; this is a project that kills jobs. This will kill the 70,000 jobs on the Great Barrier Reef. This is a project that, if it goes ahead, will ensure that we lose one of the most precious natural assets not just of Australia but of the world. The challenge now is for Bill Shorten to stand up against Michael Danby, his own member for Melbourne Ports, who just yesterday said that they should back the project. Bill Shorten should show some leadership here and stop this carbon bomb from going ahead. (Time expired)

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 696 be agreed to.