Labor shows lack of support for Adani jobs

I have called on Dawson Labor candidate Frank Gilbert to decide whether he supports the development of Adani’s Carmichael Coal Project which will create thousands of much-needed jobs in the region.Mr Gilbert is telling people desperate for jobs that he supports Adani, but at the same time he’s attacking the project on social media.Last night Mr Gilbert attended a Bowen Chamber of Commerce meeting where I was guest speaker, and he told that audience that he supported the Adani project.But earlier this month on Facebook, Mr Gilbert posted a link to an article which attacked the Carmichael Coal Project and he himself commented that it was “ignorant and irresponsible” to back the fossil fuel industry.

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There is no doubt; India wants our coal

INDIA’S Minister of State for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal thanked me for supporting Adani’s Carmichael Mine, Rail and Port Project during a chance meeting in the halls of parliament this morning.I had a brief chat with Minister Piyush Goyal and he stated in no uncertain terms that India was very keen to see the Carmichael Coal Project up and running.I assured him of my absolute commitment to seeing that happen too, and he thanked me for my support on this front.The Carmichael Coal Project promises jobs for Central and North Queensland, as well as prosperity for Indians being lifted out of energy poverty.

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MP urges Labor to support job-creating bill

THE call to put an end to extreme green legal warfare against job-creating projects in Central and North Queensland was on the agenda in Canberra this morning with the presentation of a Private Member’s Bill on the issue.I called on the Australian Labor Party to support the Liberal National Government’s amendments to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act in order to put an end to frivolous legal challenges which held up major projects.An endless round of legal challenges from the extreme green eco-terrorists against projects such as Adani’s Carmichael Mine are destroying this country’s reputation and we risk sending investors elsewhere to secure the fossil fuels they will need for decades to come.

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Adani needs patience of saint to wait for state

NOT only is the Queensland Labor Government dilly-dallying on the approval of a mining lease for the Carmichael Mine, but there is a swag of other approvals pending which are holding up progress on the massive job-creating project.A major developer needs the patience of a saint when dealing with the Palaszczuk Government and quite frankly it’s ridiculous.It’s not like this combined mine, rail and port project hit the in-trays yesterday; it’s been going on for years.

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MPs: Grant Adani mining lease so work can begin

I joined several of my Queensland colleagues at Parliament House today in a joint call for the Queensland Labor Government to issue a mining lease for the Carmichael Mine, now that an environmental authority has been issued.Doing so would allow Adani to get started on the massive job-creating project which has been 10 years in the making.The development of the Carmichael Mine is an absolute no brainer.

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$5 billion funding bill for the North ready to go

THE draft legislation to enable the flow of $5 billion into projects in Northern Australia has been released and this is a key step in developing jobs and opportunities for the north.The exposure draft legislation for the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) paves the way for the flow of funding into the development of infrastructure, so that this region and other parts of Northern Australia can reach the potential we know is there.The north holds the country’s rich reserves of energy and resources, it has many thousands of hectares of arable land if we get the right water infrastructure, like Urannah Dam, in place, and we have world-class tourist attractions.

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Minister’s Mackay visit to canvass ideas

29 JANUARY 2016: Mackay residents will provide direct input into a regional policy process when the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister visits Mackay. The Liberal National Government is formulating a policy that will set out a long-term vision for regional Australia and North Queensland will play a vital role in the process.

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PM agrees with stance on climate document

PROMPT action was needed yesterday to ensure that a communique which would cost jobs and harm rural and resources sectors was not signed during the Paris conference.I contacted both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Environment Minister Greg Hunt directly because the communique could have spelt the end of the diesel fuel rebate which protects off-road users such as farmers and mining companies.The loss of that rebate would add millions of dollars to the operating costs of mining companies, and thousands of dollars to farmers, and this would cost jobs at a time when we can least afford any more imposts.

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Region needs a ‘year of opportunity’ in 2016

27 NOVEMBER 2015: A dedicated agency tasked with job creation and industry development could make 2016 a year of opportunity for the greater Mackay region.

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Solution for stalled jobs

12 NOVEMBER 2015: Thousands of jobs in North Queensland could flow sooner if Federal Labor was willing to back the workers of the resource industry. In parliament last night, I proposed a solution to the stalled Carmichael Coal Project, which would see construction begin sooner and thousands of jobs come on line.

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Extreme green rot must stop

THE latest extreme green court action mounted against the Alpha Coal Project demonstrates how important it is that the Federal Government stick with legislation to end the sabotage of coal projects.The people who pay the ultimate price for these vigilante court actions are the workers of Central and North Queensland in dire need of jobs, and the businesses desperate for a boost to the region’s economy.The extreme green activists will continue to mount challenge after challenge against coal projects like the Alpha Coal Project and the Carmichael Mine Project.

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