2017-02-22
Environment Minister Steven Miles reached new heights of hypocrisy this morning calling for the coal industry to pay back millions of dollars it was supposed to spend on research but instead spent on advertisements lauding coal.
Greens state spokesperson and candidate for Mount Coot-tha, Michael Berkman, says if Steven Miles is truly concerned about undue influence he should take a look at the Queensland Labor Party who have received tens of thousands of dollars from the coal industry in the last five years.
Miles personally met with 16 businesses and organisations, including the Queensland Resource Council, Origin Energy, Northern Oil and Queensland Energy Resources during Queensland Labor’s state conference in October last year.
“These meetings may have all been part of Queensland Labor’s ‘cash for access’ scheme that allows business and industry to buy access to Ministers no average person could ever afford.
“Steven Miles promised voters he would be Miles better for the Reef, but under his watch the Queensland government not only approved Australia’s biggest coal mine, but bent over backwards to expedite the approval process for this multinational corporation. No wonder Adani donates to Queensland Labor.
“If Steven Miles wants to examine the undue influence of the big coal industry all he needs to do is look in the mirror”.