The future of Adani coal mine is biggest political hot potato

Adani’s Queensland mine has become a touchstone for the volatile climate change debate, writes Graham Richardson. Picture: Cameron Laird

Belief in climate change remains historically high and, despite a welter of media commentators who deny its existence, it is proving well nigh impossible to persuade the mob that it is not a threat.

At this stage, the Morrison government is holding on to Australia’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, but its support remains lukewarm at best.

Support for climate change has morphed into opposition to coal-fired power. This is not a very ­clever development because coal will provide a very large chunk of the energy we will need to keep the lights on for decades to come.

Opposition to coal-fired power has also morphed into implacable opposition to coalmining. Whether or not it deserves to be, the ­future of the Adani mine in Queensland is by far the biggest single issue facing our politicians.

For Bill Shorten, the obvious problem is the Adani mine has twice won through in the courts and, unless he wants to make sovereign risk a real issue in the election campaign, he can only sit on the hill and watch the combatants fight it out.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has seldom met with Adani representatives and seems in no hurry to deal with the furore that will occur if the mine goes ahead.

The Queensland Premier has repeatedly proven she has a great interest for knowing what the mob will stand.

It still staggers me how people who live in Tasmania or Albany or Broome or wherever all seem to have an opinion about Adani.

This had become the classic jobs versus environment confrontation. You will never convince its detractors that the Great Barrier Reef, which is a long, long way from the mine, will not be affected by waste runoff from Adani.

There was a time when the big argument on the environment was all about trees. Not now.

Mining, and coalmining in ­particular, is the new frontier for hostilities.

It doesn’t matter if the mine is in outer Woop Woop, someone, somewhere will find a reason to block the mine.

There will always be a frog, a rat or a toad to save and the battles are just beginning.