‘Rubbish in, rubbish out’: Qld LNP MP claims climate change not man-made

In an inflammatory maiden speech new Queensland Liberal National MP Colin Boyce has rejected that climate change is man-made and declared hydrogen is “extremely dangerous”.

In an inflammatory maiden speech, new LNP Member for Flynn Colin Boyce has rejected that climate change is man-made and declared hydrogen is “extremely dangerous and extremely flammable”.

It is despite Gladstone, the centre of his electorate, identified by the former Morrison Government as a future hydrogen hub, able to share in up to $464 million in grants to get projects up and running.

Mr Boyce caused a stir during the election campaign when he said the then Morrison Government’s commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2050 was “flexible”.

Speaking to parliament on Thursday, Mr Boyce said global warming caused by humans was “based entirely on computer modelling”.

LNP Flynn MP Colin Boyce gave his maiden speech on Thursday. Picture: Supplied

“It is preposterous to suggest that computer models can predict the climate future when input data and parameters are manipulated, flawed and wrong. Rubbish in, rubbish out,” he said.

He said Net Zero commitments, which the Liberal and the National parties support, were a huge threat to jobs in Flynn. The electorate has three coal-fired power stations, 15 large coalmines and a significant LNG industry.

“The industries in the Flynn electorate are heavy carbon emitters and therefore the most vulnerable to the economic effects of any emissions target proposals and it is these arguments that pose the biggest threat to our jobs, livelihoods and future prosperity both as a region and as a nation.”

Former Energy Minister Angus Taylor has previously said the hydrogen industry was expected to create 8000 jobs and generate $11 billion a year by 2050.

Mr Boyce said the production of hydrogen at scale had “huge issues and problems” not yet addressed.

“Hydrogen is extremely dangerous, it is extremely flammable and has specific qualities that make industrial quantities of hydrogen very difficult to produce, store, transport and use,” he said.

“In 1937 the zeppelin exploded, 1986 space shuttle challenger exploded, 2011 Fukushima Japan nuclear reactor plant exploded and more recently and close to home Callide C4 coal-fired generator exploded. These are all catastrophic hydrogen explosions.”