Senate debates

Tuesday, 16 June 2020

Documents

Mining

4:47 pm

Photo of Larissa WatersLarissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) since the Sydney Morning Herald and The Agereported on 11 June 2020 that international insurance companies Liberty Mutual, HDI-Talanx and Aspen Re were underwriting work on Adani's Carmichael coal mine, Liberty Mutual and HDI-Talanx have publicly stated that they will not provide future policies to the Adani Carmichael project, and Aspen Re is 'reviewing its underwriting appetite for fossil fuels',

  (ii) existing coverage extends to early work only and Adani has still not secured insurance for the complete construction and operation of the Carmichael mine,

  (iii) many major companies have refused to be involved in any part of the climate-wrecking project, including:

     (A) at least sixteen global insurers, and

     (B) at least sixty-five major insurance, construction, engineering, finance and haulage companies, and

  (iv) in the ten years since this mine was announced, the Adani group has:

     (A) misrepresented the number of jobs the Carmichael mine would create,

     (B) illegally released contaminated water into protected wetlands and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area, and

     (C) been criminally convicted in relation to giving false and misleading information to the Queensland regulator in relation to unlawful clearing activities; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

  (i) recognise that the Adani Carmichael coal mine project is unviable and withdraw its support for the project,

  (ii) ban all new thermal coal mining in the Galilee Basin and plan a just transition for workers in existing coal mines, and

  (iii) invest in renewable energy projects that will actually create jobs without turbo-charging the climate crisis.

4:48 pm

Photo of Katy GallagherKaty Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) 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 Katy GallagherKaty Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

Labor will not be supporting the motion. Projects in the Galilee Basin will be subject to the same stringent science based approvals processes as any other project. Labor welcomes investment in projects that can meet agreed environmental standards.

Photo of Malcolm RobertsMalcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) 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 Malcolm RobertsMalcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | | Hansard source

One Nation will oppose this motion. The Carmichael coalmine operators agreed to the most stringent environmental conditions of any infrastructure project in Australia's history. Environmental activists used every dirty trick to try to stop the mine and they failed. Far Left ideologues trying to destroy your mining industry forced Adani to wear millions of dollars in court costs from vexatious and frivolous lawsuits. These same dishonest, immoral anti-human environmental pests are now intimidating and bullying the mine suppliers and service providers to interfere in the mine's operations. One Nation stands 100 per cent behind the Carmichael mine and 100 per cent behind Queensland's mining industry and we will do everything in our power to protect their lawful enterprise. Queenslanders need jobs, community infrastructure and services that will come from opening the Galilee Basin, just as Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen approved the Bowen Basin, which opened up Central Queensland.

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

I remind senators, as I have said before, that the courtesy of leave has been extended to every senator and has at this point been viewed as a way to explain a position rather than debate a motion. The question is that the motion No. 650 be agreed to.