Qld coal: CFMEU calls on Palaszczuk govt to declare metallurgical coal a critical mineral

A major mining union has caused a stir on the eve of the Labor state conference with a daring push for the Palaszczuk government to declare metallurgical coal a critical mineral. AGREE? TAKE OUR POLL

A major mining union has caused a stir on the eve of the Labor state conference with a daring push for the Palaszczuk government to declare metallurgical coal a critical mineral.

The CFMEU mining district introduced a motion ahead of the conference for the production of steel through coking coal – an infamous carbon emitter – be protected with a classification similar to minerals used in the production of clean energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a number of controversial motions have emerged for debate during the annual meeting of the party faithful, including progressive sex work reforms and drug decriminalisation.

The push from the CFMEU is expected to ruffle feathers at the conference given the dominance of the Left Faction and commitments from the state government to forge ahead with a reliance on clean energy.

But Mining and Energy Union district vice-president Shane Brunker said the push is consistent with a critical mineral classification from the European Union.

Mining and Energy Union district vice-president Shane Brunker.

“The union identified that high quality coking coal is a critical mineral because you can’t have a transition into renewables without the other precious metals, and also you need coking coal to make wind towers or solar panels,” he told The Courier-Mail.

“We’re just over all these do-gooders wanting to rubbish the coal industry and want to identify that good quality coking coal is a critical mineral (and) has a viable future in Queensland.”

Mr Brunker said the Left of the party, including the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN), will have to “suck it up and get over it”.

But LEAN’s Queensland secretary Peter Casey refused to be drawn on the controversial push, insisting his like-minded party members were comfortable with the state government’s direction towards renewable energy.

He said the network was not planning to push for any dramatic policy positions following the Palaszczuk government’s promise to end its reliance on coal-fired power by 2035.

“We’re very proud of what the state government’s doing with its jobs and energy plan,” Mr Casey said.

“And we’d like to see that continue.”

Progressive sex work policies and drug decriminalisation motions have also been brought forward ahead of the conference in Mackay, with the Electrical Trades Union calling on the state government to legalise cannabis for recreational use.

The Courier-Mail was told by a Labor insider the ETU had also submitted an anti-AUKUS motion, which would force the government to ban nuclear submarines built as part of the alliance with the UK and US not be docked at Queensland ports.

Originally published as Qld coal: CFMEU calls on Palaszczuk govt to declare metallurgical coal a critical mineral