Pitt, stop your buck passing

JUNE 25, 2015: I HAVE just one simple question for State Labor Government ministers who can’t seem to get their stories straight as they play the blame game on the approvals process for Adani’s massive mine, rail and port project.Gentlemen, can you rehearse your lines, but most importantly, where is the Environmental Impact Statement?”Yesterday the Queensland Labor Treasurer Curtis Pitt wanted to lay the blame for approval delays on the Federal Government, while the office of his Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham confirmed that the State Coordinator-General was still assessing Adani’s further application for port facilities at Abbot Point and a number of rail-related applications.I have stressed once again that it is imperative for the State Labor Government to move quickly to finalise the necessary approvals.You can understand that Adani has been severely tested by this process as they have already been through two approval processes, and when Labor scraped into power with the election in January, they had to begin a third approval process.Adani CEO Jeyakumar Janakaraj wants to move ahead with this project, and the people of my region want to see this project move ahead.Billions of dollars and thousands of jobs are at stake here.So Mr Pitt, please get your facts straight, stop your buck-passing, and get on with handing that Environmental Impact Statement over to the Federal Government.You said yesterday … ‘(the State Government’s) job … is to ensure that we support and facilitate the expansion and overall development of the Galilee Basin. It is critical to ensure that we have further prosperity in our state.’Well put your money where your mouth is Mr Pitt and prove it.