Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for climate change and energy Adam Bandt MP today warned Labor against fast tracking Adani. Not only will this put lives at risk by making climate change worse, but Labor would be putting at risk inner-city seats in Brisbane and Melbourne.
“If Queensland Labor misreads the election results and starts hugging coal even tighter, voters in the inner city will punish Labor and shift to the Greens,” said Mr Bandt.
“Labor has tried to walk both sides of the street on coal, but if Labor now comes down on the side of opening new coal mines, expect a swift and brutal response from voters in the inner city who want action on global warming.
“If Labor sides with coal, Anthony Albanese will sign his party’s death warrant in federal seats like Griffith and Wills, where people want to be represented by politicians that stand for climate action.
“The Greens achieved a double digit swing in the state seat of South Brisbane against Jackie Trad in 2017. If the federal election results were mirrored at the next state election, the Greens would win the seat.
“By fast-tracking Adani, the Queensland Premier has just put her deputy’s seat at even further risk, and the Greens will redouble our efforts to win it.
“There is no ‘pro-Adani’ or ‘pro coal’ mandate from this election. In Central Queensland, the Liberal/National vote stagnated.
“I welcome moves from some unions to support a ‘green new deal’ to transition workers out of coal. If Labor and unions keep backing coal, they’re not just giving workers false hope, they’re keeping the LNP in government.”
