‘Weak as piss’: Minister Matt Canavan takes extraordinary swipe at Aurecon for quitting Adani project
A minister has taken an extraordinary swipe at Aurecon and urged the industry to ‘shun and shame’ the company in the wake of it cutting ties with Adani after being targeted by climate change activists. READ HIS COMMENTS
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RESOURCES Minister Matt Canavan has taken an extraordinary swipe at a company for ending its contract with Adani, labelling their decision “weak as piss” and questioned how it “can hold their head up high”.
In an unprecedented admonishment from the outspoken Morrison Government Cabinet Minster, Senator Canavan has also urged the industry to “shun and shame companies like Aurecon who are clearly only fair weather friends”.
Speaking at the Global Maintenance Upper Spencer Gulf Conference in Adelaide today, Senator Canavan has blasted the engineering company Aurecon for its decision to cut ties with Adani.
The Courier-Mail revealed today Aurecon, which has eight offices across Queensland, would tell staff it had severed ties with the Indian giant in the wake of being targeted by climate change activists.
Aurecon worked on the original development of Abbot Point coal terminal during the early 1980s as well as several major expansions of the port before it was purchased by Adani almost a decade ago.
“Today we hear that a large engineering company, Aurecon, is withdrawing services from Adani in response to pressure from green activist groups,’’ Senator Canavan said.
“They are not getting out of coal, indeed they don’t provide coal mining services to Adani but they are a contractor at the Abbott Point port and also provide services associated with Adani’s Whyalla solar farm, and their decision will have no material impact on Adani’s project.
“Aurecon’s announcement is weak as piss and a load of rubbish. Aurecon today say they are making the decision for reasons of “sustainability”.
“But if that is the case why they are only withdrawing services from Adani including not helping them build a solar farm here in Whyalla.
“And they are apparently still providing services to the coal industry.”
Senator Canavan had this message for the global firm: “Don’t treat us like mugs. Aurecon aren’t making the decision because they are concerned about the environment, they are doing it because they are letting a few bullies who blockade their office dictate what they do.
“Basically they are a bunch of bedwetters and I don’t know how they can hold their head up high with any kind of pride after such a weak willed decision.”
The impassioned slap down continued, with Senator Canavan arguing the business’s decision was “an insult to the working people of Australia and also to the growing needs of India”.
“The Australian people clearly voted to support Adani at the federal election especially in regional Queensland.
“The mining sector needs to shun and shame companies like Aurecon who are clearly only fair weather friends.
“They’re clearly happy to take the profits from the industry when things are easy good but at first sniff of grapeshot they run for the hills. Why would anyone want to do business with a company who acts like that?”
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