Canavan under fire for ‘snubbing’ CQ witnesses in job security forum

Shots have been fired after the Queensland Senator missed first-hand casualisation stories from Bowen Basin miners. But he has defended his absence.

Queensland Senator Matt Canavan. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

The CFMEU has launched a public attack on Central Queensland Senator Matthew Canavan after he missed powerful testimony from mine workers on casualisation in the Bowen Basin.

“Senator Canavan likes dressing up as a coal miner, but he didn’t turn up to hear evidence from coal workers or mining community leaders at the job security Senate inquiry, even though he’s the deputy chair,” a social media post read.

“Maybe he’s embarrassed about voting for new laws that take rights away from casual miners? He certainly should be.”

Mackay-based Stephen Smyth, who is president of the union’s mining arm, sent a formal letter this week to Mr Canavan expressing his disappointment over the Senator’s absence.

There is no requirement that Mr Canavan be present for every hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Job Security despite being Deputy Chair.

The hearings were supposed to be in Moranbah on Monday and Mackay on Tuesday but Covid restrictions derailed those plans.

Instead Mackay and Moranbah witnesses gave evidence remotely via a livestream on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mr Canavan said he had a prior engagement that prevented him from being present for the whole two days but he did call in remotely to ask a number of questions throughout the hearing.

Mr Smyth’s letter suggested Mr Canavan “may be embarrassed about your support for new IR laws that lock in casual exploitation in the mining industry”.

“I am writing to express my disappointment that you were not present at (Tuesday’s) hearing of the Select Committee on Job Security,” he said in the letter.

“Given your important role as deputy chair of the committee, I was looking forward to the opportunity to have you hear directly from mine workers Wayne Goulevitch and Chad Stokes about their experiences of labour hire and casualisation in the coal mining industry.

“You spend a lot of time talking about the Queensland coal mining industry and you have claimed to have ‘fixed’ the issue of casualisation in coal mining.

“So it is disappointing that you did not see fit to attend a Senate hearing looking specifically at the issue of labour hire in the Central Queensland coal industry.

“I noted from your social media that you were out and about yesterday claiming to stand up for Queensland coal jobs.

“If you were really interested in coal jobs, I believe you would have taken the time

to hear directly from coal workers who gave up their time and found the courage to answer Senators’ questions about their experiences in the Queensland coal industry, and the devastating impact of labour hire.”

Mr Canavan returned fire with a letter to Mr Smyth explaining he was not able to join “at the precise time” the mine workers appeared but confirmed he did join the hearings via telephone.

“As you have noted from my social media, I had an important job in Gladstone to announce the LNP’s new candidate for Flynn.

From left, Queensland Senator Matt Canavan, LNP Flynn candidate Colin Boyce, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and incumbent Flynn MP Ken O'Dowd at the Gladstone Power Station to announce the Flynn candidate. Picture: Steve Vit

“We both know the most important thing is we keep the Labor Party away from power.

“Just look at how Labor is putting 500 coal miners out of work by refusing to approve the Acland mine.

“As the only Senator based in Central Queensland, I am more than happy to meet you and coal miners anytime you would like.

“The LNP changed the law to provide workers the right to convert to permanent work.”

Labor’s Dawson candidate Shane Hamilton also took a swing saying the inquiry was a “huge opportunity for Senators to hear what’s happening to miners in our region and do something to help”.

“Matt Canavan couldn’t even be bothered showing up to hear what locals had to say,” he said.

“I am shocked that someone who talks about mining as much as Matt Canavan wouldn’t even bother to listen to what miners are really going through.

“By snubbing these workers, Matt Canavan has again proven he and the LNP are really on the side of big mining companies and cowboy labour hire firms, not mine workers.

“I’m a coal miner myself, and job security is something we think about every day.

Senator Murray Watt, Labor Party deputy leader Richard Marles, Ausgroup owner Jon Byrnes and Labor’s Dawson candidate Shane Hamilton speaking in Mackay. Picture: Lillian Watkins

“You’ve got miners who have been on the same full-time shifts, on the same rosters year after year who are classed as casual, when they want a permanent job.

“These are workers who are stressed and worried about the future. They can’t get a sick day, can’t get a mortgage and can’t get job security for their families.”

Queensland Resources Opposition spokesman Murray Watt said Mr Canavan was happy to dress up like a miner but “he’s never there when they need him”.

“Matt Canavan tells miners he’s with them, but he goes missing in action whenever there’s a chance to help them,” he said.

“He and his government have had eight years to fix the explosion of casualisation and labour hire, but he’s proven again this week that he just doesn’t care.”

Responding to claims he was embarrassed by casualisation reforms in coal mining, Mr Canavan suggested instead the CFMEU was “just embarrassed the previous Labor government did nothing on casualisation for six years”.

Originally published as Canavan under fire for ‘snubbing’ CQ witnesses in job security forum