Workers lose out to Labor’s dithering on Adani

NORTH Queenslanders desperate for work at Adani’s proposed Carmichael Mine are being left in the lurch by Townsville’s three State Labor MPs.

Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto blasted Townsville’s MP Scott Stewart, Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper and Mundingburra MP Coralee O’Rourke over their unwillingness to stand up for the region and tell their Brisbane counterparts to get on with approving the mine.

“North Queensland is crying out for jobs and yet we have a situation where these Labor MPs would rather trot out the infuriating line that Adani “needs to stack up environmentally and financially”. People are sick of their inaction,” he said.

“The fact of the matter is Adani has obtained over 112 approvals for the project through an incredibly rigorous approval process lasting eight years. It has overcome every hurdle placed in front of it. This last minute external review of the company’s black-throated finch management plan represents another shifting of the goalposts.

“It’s time for Mr Stewart, Mr Harper and Ms O’Rourke to show some backbone and tell the Premier North Queensland has had enough of the government’s games. We need the jobs, plain and simple.”

Mr Dametto, a fitter/boilermaker by trade with 10 years experience in the mining and construction industry, said he understood the significant financial benefits mining had brought to the Townsville region “better than anyone else”.

He added that Katter’s Australian Party was broadly supportive of mining in the Galilee Basin including the Adani project, which could potentially deliver more than 1500 direct jobs at the mine and thousands of indirect jobs to both Central and North Queensland.

However, Mr Dametto said it was a gross error of judgement by Labor not to support Adani’s $1 billion loan application to the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility for a rail line through the Galilee Basin, which could have been accessed by all mines in the basin.

“Mining is an incredibly important industry to Queensland, generating $62.9 billion to the state’s economy in 2017-18. That’s one in eight jobs,” he said.
“As far as I’m concerned, Labor needs to stop pandering to their extremist green masters in Brisbane over Adani and start listening to the people of North Queensland. Otherwise, I guarantee they’ll face electoral oblivion at the ballot box in 2020.”

Media reports today that Labor’s Federal Member for Herbert Cathy O’Toole had called on the State Government to stop “shifting the goalposts” on Adani was proof public pressure was working, Mr Dametto said.

“I welcome Ms O’Toole’s support for this project but I must say it’s a strange coincidence that she’s come out and done this just a few days after the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union said it would campaign against Federal Labor candidates at the upcoming election if they didn’t pledge support for the mine,” he said.

“Ms O’Toole does after all hold the most marginal seat in the country that was won by just 37 votes at the last election. I urge voters at the upcoming Federal election to think very carefully about just who has their best interests at heart.

“The KAP’s Federal Candidate for Herbert Nanette Radeck will stand up for local jobs and would be a fine representative for Townsville. Our party always puts regional Queensland first.”