Bill Shorten can’t say if he will review Adani approvals

Bill Shorten declares he won’t sign the union pledge on coalmining.

Bill Shorten still can’t say nearly two weeks into the federal election campaign if his future government would review the environmental approvals for Adani’s Carmichael mine, leaving Labor exposed in key Queensland coal mining seats.

Campaigning in the Nationals-held electorate of Flynn, the Opposition Leader declared he would not sign the CFMEU’s pledge calling for support of the coal mining industry and, in reference to the proposed Adani mine, for “coal mining developments that meet regulatory requirements”.

.@jmodoh: Mr Shorten are you confirming you will not sign the CFMEU pledge to not stand in the way of Adani?@billshortenmp: I’m not going to sign it, resources projects have to stack up scientifically. @zac_beers: I signed it because it reflects the views of Qld people. pic.twitter.com/UFOLthGKx4

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 23, 2019

That puts Mr Shorten at odds with Labor’s candidate for Flynn, Zac Beers, who has signed the pledge.

The federal government signed off on the last environmental approval shortly before the May 18 election was called.

“I have no plans to review the approvals but if we want to be fair dinkum, let’s be fair dinkum and let’s tell the voters the truth,” Mr Shorten said.

“If I’m prime minister I will adhere to the law of the land. I’m not going to be intimidated or bullied by environmental activists or big mining companies. For me, it is all about the best science, the law of the land and not creating sovereign risk.

“It doesn’t matter if it is a union who comes to me or a business, an environmental activist, what I will do as prime minister is work with all of those interests but I won’t be the servant of any of those interests.”

MORE: PoliticsNow on the campaign trail

Standing next to Mr Shorten, Mr Beers said he had signed the CFMEU pledge because it talked about commitment to mining projects that stacked up environmentally and financially and an end to the misuse of casual labour.

“I have no issue with signing the pledge. Bill’s position has been clear on this all the way along, he doesn’t need to reiterate that,” Mr Beers said.

“I signed that pledge because it reflects the views of the people I represent and I’ll fight every day to make sure workers in central Queensland start getting a fair go.”

Mr Shorten attempted to play down the differing positions, saying he was running to become prime minister and Mr Beers was not.

“I, for one, am happy if I have local candidates who are backing the strong views of their community,” the Labor leader said, as he moved to distract from the issue by flagging a possible judicial inquiry into a controversial $80 million water buyback program under the Coalition.

Scott Morrison and his former water minister Barnaby Joyce have come under increasing pressure to explain why the government in 2017 gave the green light to a buyback deal with Eastern Australia Agriculture, previously linked to Energy Minister Angus Taylor.

“(The Prime Minister) should stop running and hiding, stop backing up ministers where we have no line of sight in the decisions that have been made. Every day goes by, the suspicions grow,” Mr Shorten said.

“I put Mr Morrison on notice. It won’t be good enough if you want to have some administrative tick box review. Unless the department provides all of the paperwork, not with a big black texta marking out all the interesting details but the fair dinkum paperwork, without the redactions, without the secret squirrel business which this government loves. It should be a judicial inquiry where you have the power to compel witnesses and you have the power to get to the bottom (of the issue).”

After weeks of Mr Morrison linking Labor to the Greens, Mr Shorten labelled the minor party’s policy to end coal mining by 2030 “silly” and said it was not going to happen.

“Next time they catch a tram, trams run on steel, steel is made from a process of using metallurgical coal. I don’t think they quite know some times where it all comes from,” he said.

“That should not be used as an argument not to take action on climate change.”

Labor MP Cathy O’Toole, the member for Herbert whose seat takes in Townsville, said she had been too focused on doing her job at a local level to feel any frustration over Mr Shorten’s failure to rule out a review of Adani’s environmental protections.

She has signed a business pledge to support the mine but not the CFMEU pledge.

“I have not seen that (CFMEU) pledge so I cannot make any comment on that at all,” Ms O’Toole said.

“I know the Labor Party is very clear and we will ensure that proper science, proper legal processes are followed from a national perspective.

“My job is to focus on the needs of the people here in this community. I can say I have had nothing but support from the leadership of the Labor Party since the day I was elected. I have an open door to go and discuss the needs of this community with the leader and with the executive leadership team.”

Ms O’Toole’s margin is a wafer thin 0.02 per cent.