Labor MP's anti-coal meeting sparks fury from mining industry boss

Supporting 9000 jobs across NQ, the coal industry has fired up after a Labor MP attended an anti-coal campaign meeting. See why the gauntlet has been thrown down.

Jonte Bush has been criticised for attending a Queensland Conservation Council and Lock the Gate Alliance workshop.

Bristling with anger over news of a Queensland Labor politician meeting with anti-coal groups, a pro-coal industry advocate has challenged Opposition Leader Steven Miles to clarify his party’s stance on coal mining.

A furore erupted after Labor backbencher Jonty Bush joined Greens MP Michael Berkman at a workshop meeting hosted by Queensland Conservation Council and Lock the Gate Alliance.

The June 30 meeting was part of a new “Coal Watch” campaign to “make a plan to stop” new coal mining projects in the state, where Ms Bush advised the anti-coal groups on how to work with the LNP government to hold them to emissions targets and progress energy policy.

Supporting 9000 direct jobs across North Queensland, coal accounts for about 45 per cent of Queensland’s exports in the 12 months to April 2025, delivering $5.5bn in royalties to state coffers.

Stuart Bocking - chief executive of Coal Australia. Picture - Supplied

Coal Australia chief executive Stuart Bocking described Ms Bush’s actions as a “real kick in the guts for coal mining communities”.

“Do (Labor) support the sector? Do they advocate more broadly for a halt to extensions and expansions of the sector? Do they want to see it come to an end sooner rather than later?” Mr Bocking asked.

“An unsustainable royalties regime is ramping up that pressure, and now they seem to be doubling down at least in terms of what Ms. Bush has been doing recently – it’s a critical test for Steven Miles. Where does Queensland Labor stand in relation to coal mining?”

Given that coal is the state’s biggest driver of GDP, Mr Bocking said no one could underestimate the importance of coal mining and its associated communities, which deliver prosperity, taxes, royalties, and other benefits.

Jonty Bush. Picture: Liam Kidston

“We’ve got one Labor MP and potentially others who haven’t been outed in this matter who are actively campaigning against coal mining communities,” he said.

“I’ve just spent the last couple of days in Moranbah and I would invite Ms Bush or anyone else from within Labor to head to that part of the world in Central Queensland and say to those many people … ‘look we are actively campaigning to put you out of a job’.”

While coal opponents might “try and wish the sector away tomorrow”, he said it wouldn’t dampen coal demand from our Asian neighbours like India, South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines.

He said Coal Australia’s member companies were well aware of the challenge of emissions reduction, and they were actively taking steps through the Safeguard Mechanism.

A spokesman for the Opposition said the party did support the state’s coal mining industry.

“Using Queensland metallurgical coal is currently the most sustainable way to produce high quality steel and will remain that way for decades to come,” he said.

“But unlike David Crisafulli whose entire energy plan relies on burning inferior brown coal at ageing power plants, Labor accepts expert advice that a transition to renewables will deliver cheap power and greater certainty for industry.”

Originally published as Labor MP's anti-coal meeting sparks fury from mining industry boss