THE HON KEITH PITT MP
Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia
Member for Hinkler
Senator HOLLY HUGHES
Senator for NSW
Senator PERIN DAVEY
Senator for NSW
MEDIA RELEASE
Attempts by long-serving Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon to call out the spread of radical green-left ideology within his party are welcome, but set to fall on deaf ears as Labor continues to thumb its nose at workers in the critically important resources sector.
Leaked emails from the Opposition spokesman on Resources and Agriculture to the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) revealed the extent of the influence Labor’s green faction.
Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said “LEAN” is an unfortunate symptom of Labor’s growing green ideology.
“As someone who has served his party for a quarter of a century in Parliament, it is sad to see someone of Mr Fitzgibbon’s standing having such little impact on Labor’s policy direction when it comes to mining and energy jobs,” Mr Pitt said.
“Joel Fitzgibbon’s admission that Labor is overstating the job and economic benefits of renewable energy projects is welcome but will have no impact on the dominant anti-mining and resources faction in Labor.
“Queensland Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has completely ignored his calls to make a decision on the New Acland mine in Queensland and his federal leader Anthony Albanese refused to back the project and save jobs when he was in Brisbane recently,” Mr Pitt said.
New South Wales Liberal Senator Holly Hughes said Labor’s growing anti-mining stance threatens jobs.
“Mining regions like the Hunter are making an enormous economic contribution to the nation’s economy through the coronavirus pandemic and Labor should be showing support for the industry, not trying to shut it down,” Senator Hughes said.
“Only the Coalition has the policies to back the thousands of local resources industry workers and support the industry’s long term future.”
Nationals Senator for New South Wales Perin Davey said there’s no-one of influence in Labor left to stand up for regional Australia.
“When a voice like Joel Fitzgibbon’s is ignored by his own party as Labor is swallowed up by the ideological left, it’s regional areas and jobs that are most at risk,” Senator Davey said.
“Labor clearly didn’t learn from the last election that you can’t get away with saying one thing to people in the cities and another to those in regional areas.
“It is regional industries like mining, agriculture and forestry that will help drive our economy out of the COVID recession and the people of regional Australia deserve to know where Labor stands on jobs in those sectors.
“Only the Liberals and Nationals Government is consistent in its support for thousands of workers throughout the NSW Hunter.”