Anthony Albanese faces pro-mining policy push from Labor MPs

A pro-mining Labor group has been rebranded as it seeks greater influence over Anthony Albanese’s parliamentary team.

Senator Murray Watt says ‘a lot of the issues that get raised and are being ignored by the government are about living standards, casualisation, labour hire’. Picture: News Regional Media

A pro-mining Labor group has been rebranded as it seeks greater influence over Anthony Albanese’s parliamentary team in the hope of winning over communities critical to forming ­government.

The cross-factional Labor Friends of Resources and Resources Communities has grown to about 30 MPs and broadened its focus to issues beyond mining but which impact resources towns.

The group will host industry events and tours of resources projects as it hopes to influence policy ahead of Labor’s national conference at the end of the year.

While the pro-coal Otis Group is made up of only right-wing Labor MPs invited to join by ­resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon, the parliamentary friendship group is open to all caucus MPs and a leading voice will be left-wing frontbencher Murray Watt.

Senator Watt, the opposition spokesman for Northern Australia, said he became involved in the group run by Queensland Labor MP Milton Dick because of its ­“renewed focus on the needs of ­resources communities”.

“A lot of the issues that get raised and are being ignored by the government are about living standards, casualisation, labour hire,” Senator Watt said.

He said Labor would not be able to sell its message on industrial relations and government services in resources areas if the party was viewed as anti-coal.

“It is vital that we show all communities in Australia, including mining communities, that we ­respect them, that we respect the work they do, the contribution they make to our economy and that we are with them,” he said. “Clearly at the last election we didn’t manage to do that. That is the foundation point.

“Anthony Albanese has been very clear that Labor under his leadership respects mining workers and sees a future in all resources industries, including coal.”

West Australian frontbencher Matt Keogh is organising a tour for Labor MPs of iron ore mines and gas facilities in his home state, which will likely occur in April.

Mr Keogh said Labor needed to be pro-mining to win over WA, ­describing Perth a “mining community” because it was home to fly-in, fly-out workers. “But also we are seeing more and more of these remote operation centres being established around Perth. There are lots of mine workers working in a mine but from Perth,” he said. “We are a party that supports the resources sector and the people who work in it. It is in the name of the party. We are the Labor Party. That is what we do.”

Included in the group are frontbenchers Terri Butler, Michelle Rowland, Madeleine King and Mr Fitzgibbon. Members also include Victorian senators Kimberley Kitching and Raff Ciccone, NSW MPs Mike Freelander and Meryl Swanson, and Queensland MPs Anthony Chisholm and Graham Perrett.

Mr Dick said Labor had a long way to go to win back support in regional and resource areas. “That’s what I would hope some of the policy work (does) as we head towards national conference, framing our policies for the next election. Everyone has got their job to do and this will be a small part,” Mr Dick said. “We have heard the message so now it is about reconnecting, rebuilding, listening to communities.”

Labor has six of 30 seats in Queensland and three of 16 in WA.