Joel Fitzgibbon joins forces with Craig Kelly to spruik coal

Joel Fitzgibbon joins forces with Coalition MP Craig Kelly to spruik Australia’s coal exports.

Joel Fitzgibbon will join a Parliamentary Friends group for coal exports. Picture: Renee Nowytarger.

Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon has joined forces with outspoken Coalition MP Craig Kelly to spruik Australia’s coal exports in parliament.

The opposition resources spokesman called on Labor to re-embrace the coal industry after Bill Shorten’s election campaign was hammered in Queensland, Western Australia, and the Hunter Valley which Mr Fitzgibbon represents.

Mr Kelly — a vocal critic of Malcolm Turnbull’s energy and climate policies — called on a Labor MP in parliament last week to join him in forming a Parliamentary Friends group for coal exports.

Last night, the Coalition backbencher announced in an email to fellow MPs he had found a co-chair in Mr Fitzgibbon.

“I represent a region which is home to the world’s largest coal port. Coal mines in my electorate provide most of that port’s coal and create up to 70,000 direct and indirect jobs,” Mr Fitzgibbon told The Australian.

“I am the Shadow Minister for Resources. It should not be surprising I accepted a Craig Kelly’s invitation to be co-chair of the friendship group.

“Labor has always supported the coal industry and will continue to do so.”

Mr Shorten came under pressure to choose a position on the Adani Carmichael coal mine throughout the election campaign.

While now-deputy opposition leader Richard Marles said the death of the thermal coal industry would be a “good thing,” he has since walked back those comments.

Mr Kelly wrote to MPs last night to invite them to the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Coal Exports and to simply reply “I’m in” if they wanted to join.

“The Parliamentary Friends of Australian Coal Exports encourages all Senators and Members to join to acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable contribution that Australian Coal Exports make to our nation,” Mr Kelly writes.

“A total of $68 billion in export revenue in 2018/19, consisting of 208 million tonnes of Thermal Coal and 179 million tonnes of metallurgical coal.”