2016-03-16
"Yet again, we see there is no difference between the old parties on digging up fossil fuels to ruin our Great Barrier Reef.
"The Labor Government wants to take advice from a former Liberal Minister who infamously said - 'We've got to make sure that every molecule of gas that can come out of the ground does so'.
"This is a slap in the face for regional Queensland communities dealing with the destruction that coal seam gas and underground coal gasification has wrecked on their wellbeing, land, water and climate.
"It's also a blow to our Great Barrier Reef, which both the old parties want to turn into a highway for coal ships, even though it is already struggling with coral bleaching and provides 67 000 jobs.
"Clearly, the Palaszczuk Government has created a Resources Commissioner position to give its donors in the dying fossil fuel industry a leg up.
"The creation of a Resources Commissioner and the possible appointment of former Liberal Minister Ian Macfarlane to that position again highlights how both Labor and the Coalition are wedded to the dirty energy industry.
"Where is the Queensland Commissioner for Clean Energy? Clean energy can provide lasting employment in regional Queensland, unlike the dying coal industry which is already sacking thousands of workers," Senator Waters said.