Minerals Council hits out at Anthony Albanese over nature positive, stands by Tania Constable

Australia’s Minerals Council denies it crossed the line in a hard-fought election campaign where the result has put pressure on CEO Tania Constable for her backing of the Coalition.

Anthony Albanese holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The board of Australia’s peak mining lobby has declared its full support for its chief executive after an election campaign where Tania Constable’s political strategy arguably backfired under a now emboldened federal Labor.

Minerals Council of Australia chairman Andrew Michelmore backed his leader Ms Constable and disputed industry speculation that her position has become untenable in light of the election result.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has threatened to sideline the MCA as Labor pushes ahead with a federal environmental protection authority and a so-called natural positive overhaul of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Mr Michelmore said the MCA board was impressed with Ms Constable’s performance and ability to lobby forcefully on behalf of the mining industry.

The MCA board includes BHP president for Australia, Geraldine Slattery; Rio Tinto iron ore boss Simon Trott, and senior executives from Glencore, Newmont, South32, Whitehaven Coal, Lynas Rare Earths, Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill and Thiess.

Senior figures in the Labor Party have accused the MCA of campaigning on behalf of the Coalition.

Peter Dutton with Tania Constable whilst attending Minerals Week in Canberra. Picture: Adam Taylor

The lobby group was a vocal critic of industrial relations reforms and offered only lukewarm support for critical minerals policy during Mr Albanese’s first term.

MCA advertising and Ms Constable’s public comments on issues like environmental laws and industrial relations were made with the authority of the board.

It is understood the MCA had a major industrial relations campaign waiting in the wings, but it was never launched after BHP and Rio – the two companies most affected by the re-unionisation of the Pilbara iron ore industry after decades of industrial peace – sought a pause.

The MCA was also in close contact with environment minister Tanya Plibersek’s office in trying to reach a compromise on environmental laws, and at one stage, worked on a version suitable to miners with a view to gaining Coalition support.

Mr Michelmore, an industry veteran and former Western Mining chief executive, said the MCA and government had clashed over policy, but made no apologies for robust advocacy on behalf of its members.

“We’ve had some ding dong discussions with the government on a number of these matters, and some ministers get their nose out of joint, and others go ‘yep, let’s at least talk it through’. There is politics, and then there’s policy. We try and keep out of the politics and focus on policies and their implications, and try to do the best by the country,” he said.

Mr Michelmore said Ms Constable was an advocate for sound policy in her meetings with Mr Albanese and government ministers.

“We don’t play the man. We play the policy. What we keep coming back to as a board are the policies we need to get mining back into some sort of the favourable shape for investment in Australia. We need more investment and so what are the policies that are holding this up? And that’s what Tania goes and talks about,” he said.

Mr Albanese has warned he could bypass the MCA and deal with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy in WA on new environmental laws. WA’s Labor premier Roger Cook twice intervened to head off moves by the federal party to pass the laws in the lead up to the election.

Ms Plibersek is widely tipped to lose the environment portfolio in a ministerial reshuffle flagged by Mr Albanese, who has said he believes a compromise can be reached between miners and environmentalists.

Mr Michelmore denied the MCA had crossed the line between policy and politics during the election campaign.

Labor figures were irked by the MCA’s executive director in WA, David Parker, appearing alongside Opposition leader Peter Dutton at a campaign event in Perth and by an MCA employee taking leave to work for Mr Dutton during the campaign.

Mr Michelmore said the election result didn’t change the issues facing the mining industry and therefore the Australian economy, those being high energy costs, permitting delays and uncertainty, bloated construction costs and a lack of focus on boosting productivity.

The Australian reported this week that top Liberal Party donors are pulling their financial support for the party, blaming the combination of a disorganised election campaign and Mr Dutton’s policy platform.

After leading Labor to its best two-party-preferred result since the end of World War II, Mr ­Albanese has rejected a radical agenda.

Originally published as Minerals Council hits out at Anthony Albanese over nature positive, stands by Tania Constable