Extreme greens urged to get out of the way

OCTOBER 30, 2015: THE reasons why I am travelling to India in the fight for jobs and investment for the region were outlined today in a speech to Port of Mackay Rotary Club members.I am heading to Ahmedabad on a mission for jobs.I will be meeting with the Chairman of the Adani Group, Mr Gautam Adani, to deliver thousands of postcards of support from a community saying, ‘Yes, Mackay does support the Carmichael mine, Yes, we can supply a workforce, and Yes, we can be a service hub for the Carmichael Coal Project'.The extreme green movement, who have conducted a relentless campaign against the job-creating Carmichael Coal Project, need to understand that Adani needs coal, and will simply source it from somewhere else if they can’t go ahead with their mine in Australia.The green movement needs to ask themselves these questions.“Do they want to see the creation of Australian jobs, or the creation of overseas jobs?“Do they want to see the use of Australian coal with low ash content and emissions, or overseas coal with high ash content with produces more carbon dioxide emissions?“Do the green movement want to see a coal mine operating where there are strict guidelines and high environmental standards, or do they want a coal mine operating in a country where the environmental standards are not worth the paper they are written on?The extreme greens need to understand the umpire has made its decision.They need to heed the umpire’s call, return to the dressing sheds, stop the sledging and get out of the way.The trip is not official government business, and I will pay for all expenses himself.