Bill Shorten declares opposition to Adani mine in Queensland

AN angry Pauline Hanson has told Bill Shorten to “get the hell out of Queensland’’ after the Labor leader revealed he did not support the Adani coal project.

AN angry Pauline Hanson has told Labor leader Bill Shorten to “get the hell out of Queensland’’ after Mr Shorten revealed he did not support the Adani coal project.

“Bill Shorten, keep the hell out of Queensland because you are not wanted here, people do not want to see you,’’ Senator Hanson said during a Brisbane press conference.

“I am angry and fed up with Bill Shorten sticking his nose into Queensland.’’

Mr Shorten has told reporters in Perth that while a Labor Government would not rip up contracts with the Indian miner, he did not personally support the giant coal venture proposed for west of Bowen.

“I don’t support the Adani project,” Mr Shorten said.

Senator Hanson said everyone was well aware Mr Shorten’s comments were designed to sandbag Labor, which is under a Green assault in the Batman byelection in Melbourne.

“We all know it’s to do with the Batman’s election in Victoria and siding with the Greens.’’

Senator Hanson said she would always represent the people of Queensland, and the coal industry was vital to Queensland jobs.

Her One Nation Party had secured the seat of Mirani which takes in the Mackay hinterland in the last state election, and the people of Mirani were extremely supportive of the Adani mine, she said.

“This project will bring a lot of money into Queensland,’’ Senator Hanson said.

“We need that money.

“This state has been run into the ground.’’

OVERNIGHT: Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has declared his outright opposition to the Adani mine, despite its potential to deliver thousands of jobs to Queensland, as he tries to save a Labor seat in Melbourne.

Mr Shorten, a Victorian, has previously voiced his scepticism about the mine, but yesterday revealed for the first time he did not support the $16.5 billion project.

While he said he doesn’t support the mine project, Mr Shorten indicated he won’t rip up the Indian miner’s approvals if Labor wins government because it could scare off other investors.

The comments come as Labor is battling a tight contest with the Greens in the inner-Melbourne seat of Batman, where opposition to the mine has become a defining issue of the campaign.

They also follow Mr Shorten accepting a $17,000 tour of the Great Barrier Reef and a charter flight over the Carmichael coal mine site in January, funded by the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Some Labor MPs were last night frustrated at their leader’s outright opposition to the project, calling it “unnecessary” and “not the Opposition Leader’s job”.

The Adani proposal has already been through all of its federal environmental approvals.

Mr Shorten yesterday said he “didn’t support the Adani project”, and raised doubts about whether it stacked up “commercially and environmentally”.

After Queensland LNP opposition seized on the comments, saying Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk must reveal her true position on the mine, the Premier today said in Question Time that her Party supported the Adani coal mine.

“This Government supports the Adani project if it stacks up, we have from day one,” the Premier said.

“I will stand up for Queensland and for jobs in the resources sector for what it brings this state.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused Mr Shorten of being two-faced by saying one thing to unions, who want the 10,000 direct and indirect jobs Adani has promised, and another to green groups fighting the mine.

Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said Mr Shorten was putting “political opportunism” ahead of the “rule of law and science”.

“With the seat of Batman on the line he is trying to shore up green votes in the city at the expense of blue collar workers in the regions,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“A year ago he said he supported the Adani mine and now he has gone back on his word.

“Despite reportedly being told by senior Labor figures his newfound opposition to the mine would present a sovereign risk he has doubled down on his position to chase votes in Batman.”

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said people “trying to win seats in Melbourne or Sydney” should let the project succeed or fail on its own terms.

“This whole sniping behind scenes isn’t helping any one,” Cr Hill said.

“It’s a commercial project now, it’s got all of its environmental approvals. Everyone should take step back and let the company do what they need to do.”

The Labor Member for Herbert, Cathy O’Toole, said: “There is a commercial process it is going through and we should just let that process take place. As a commercial business it will stand on its two feet or it won’t.”

Mr Shorten said Adani was struggling to attract finance and had missed “numerous deadlines”.

“I don’t support the Adani project,” he said.

“It has been spoken about since 2011. That’s a matter of record. It has had numerous deadlines. If you believe the initial hype and boosterism about Adani, they’d have been shipping coal out of Australia for the last three years.

“So I am a sceptic, and I am not supportive of it. Labor has said it has got to stack up both commercially and environmentally.

“In terms of the commerce, no Australian bank will invest in it. No Australian super will invest in it. How many more deadlines can this business fail to meet?”

Adani, which is based in India, is still yet to attract finance for the coal mine, while questions have been raised about its environmental practises at the Abbot Point coal terminal.

Mr Shorten also batted away questions over whether he promised environmentalists at the ACF he would try to revoke the mine’s licence if Labor won government.

He has repeatedly said a Labor government would not “tear up contracts” and “create sovereign risk”.

But a section in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act would allow a federal government an opportunity to revoke its licence if new facts affecting the environment emerged.

A spokesman for Mr Shorten said last night: “Bill has so far announced infrastructure projects in regional Queensland that will deliver more than 3000 jobs – real jobs that are backed by guaranteed government investment.”

A State Government spokesman said: “The project needs to stack up financially and environmentally.”