Bruised Labor in race to embrace coal

Joel Fitzgibbon promises Labor backing for any mining project that doesn’t need taxpayer funding.

Labor resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon embraces coal. Picture: Chris Pavlich

New opposition resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has promised any mining project that does not need taxpayer funding and meets strict environmental tests will be backed by Labor, as the party ­embraces coal after its defeat at the federal election.

The regional NSW MP was one of several Labor members, ­including new opposition Treasury spokes­man Jim Chalmers, to come out in support of the coal ­industry yesterday.

Mr Fitzgibbon, who added the resources portfolio to his agriculture portfolio in the shadow cabinet shake-up, also conceded that the Australian people had rejected a carbon price.

He said Labor needed to “consider other paths” to lower emissions after Tony Burke, the party’s former environment spokesman, suggested a Tony Abbott-style ­direct action model could work.

Labor is reeling from its election loss, which was felt keenly in Queensland coalmining seats.

Coalmining is one of the main industries in Mr Fitzgibbon’s seat of Hunter, which he has held on to despite suffering a swing against him of 14.21 per cent.

“The Labor Party has always had a policy to support the mining of coal and the export of coal. We will continue to have that policy,” Mr Fitzgibbon told The Australian.

“Any mining project, wherever it is, has to be able to stand on its own two feet without taxpayer subsidies, it must pass the most stringent environmental tests, but any project which can pass those two tests should have the support of the Australian Labor Party.”

Mr Chalmers, who holds the southeast Queensland seat of Rankin, yesterday said his vision for Australia’s economy included new thermal coalmines, as well as a transition to renewable energy.

“I’ve also pointed out, as a very proud Queenslander, that coal is an important part of our industrial base, it’s an important part of our export base, the money that we make from the rest of the world,” he said. “So when it comes to thermal coal, and when it comes to any particular mine or another, we do need to be conscious of that.

“That’s why, for example, when it came to Adani, we had what is ­effectively the same position as the government, which is that it ­needed to get over the environmental and commercial hurdles.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said he hoped his party leader, Anthony Albanese, had intended to send a very strong message to voters by handing him the resources portfolio — which was previously held by his friend and NSW colleague, Jason Clare — that Labor supported ­resources projects in the regions and welcomed the jobs they created.

“We have to get beyond the spin and recognise two things,” he said. “Even if we were able to ­secure a 50 per cent renewables outcome, 50 per cent of our electricity must come from other sources. Obviously fossil fuels will play a major role in that for a considerable period to come.

“We must stick to the science on gas projects. If we don’t manage to get more gas out of the ground soon we’re going to be facing a ­crisis in our manufacturing sector and higher energy prices.”

All policies Labor took to the election will be reviewed, ­including its 45 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 and a 50 per cent renewable energy target over the same timeframe.

Queensland Labor MP Shayne Neumann, the member for Blair, told Sky News the Adani Carmichael mine was “good for Queensland” if it created jobs and passed its environmental approvals.