NATIONAL Party Queensland Senator Matt Canavan was in the Hunter yesterday, criticising the ALP for "trading mining jobs for green votes" while justifying the Coalition's preferencing of Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Senator Canavan spoke with media in Newcastle before driving to pre-polling stations at Cessnock and East Maitland in support of the Nationals candidate for Hunter, James Thomson.
Recognised nationwide for his views in support of coal and his opposition to "net zero" emissions policies, Senator Canavan said Labor was "putting the Greens above the Nationals, above other parties here".
"We oppose Labor Party policies but we think the Greens are worse in this area because they want to take away so many jobs," Senator Canavan said.
"The Labor Party has given preferences to the Greens and what the Greens are getting in return is the Labor Party's promise to put a carbon tax on 10,000 mining jobs in the Hunter."
Asked about the Coalition cutting corresponding preference arrangements with One Nation, Senator Canavan said: "We don't agree with all of One Nation's policies but we recognise that they do support the coal industry, and they aren't proposing a carbon tax, so they've gone above Labor."
Senator Canavan said Labor's emission reduction hit on the coal industry had been a major topic since it was raised in the Newcastle Herald three weeks ago, with Shortland MP Pat Conroy saying coalmines would be "carved out" and Labor climate change spokesperson Chris Bowen saying they would have to buy carbon credits.
"It doesn't matter whether coal is in demand or not, they just want to shut these jobs down," Senator Canavan said.
"Chris Bowen has confirmed on national media that coalmines will have to pay for carbon credits under Labor's policy and its about time the Labor MPs were truthful to voters in the Hunter Valley and upfront about their plan."
Senator Canavan said he accepted that increased carbon dioxide levels created a "greenhouse effect" but believed the impacts were overstated and manageable.
Responding to Senator Canavan's comments, Mr Conroy said Labor had "been consistent" about its emissions reduction policy and said economic modelling had found "not a single job would be lost" were it implimented.
He said the "only split on climate policy is between Scott Morrison, Barnaby Joyce, and Matt Canavan".
"Gold Coast Productivity Commission economist Matt Canavan is a cosplay [costume play] fraud who smears coal dust on his face just before he does TV interviews," Mr Conroy said.
"He also wants to leave the door open for projects like [the offshore gas exploration proposal] PEP-11."
