Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
27 NOVEMBER 2024
ALBANESE GOVERNMENT HATES WA’s MINING INDUSTRY
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is desperately trying to fool Western Australians that he supports our mining sector when his wheeling and dealing with the Greens over Nature Positive laws proves he hates our State’s most important industry.
Western Australians can take no solace in the fact Labor has been unable, so far this week, to do a deal with the Greens to create a new Federal Environment Protection Agency.
Although Mr Albanese has run out of time in this parliament it is clear if re-elected in minority, and a Labor-Greens alliance government is formed they will bring back a super charged environmental protection bill that will cripple mining in Western Australia.
Shadow Attorney-General Senator Michaelia Cash said it is very clear Labor wants these laws implemented.
“The Prime Minister is trying to sweep this issue under the carpet at the moment and hope Western Australians will believe he supports our mining sector,’’ Senator Cash said.
“The reality is that Mr Albanese and Labor are no friends of our mining industry despite what they might pretend when they visit Western Australia,’’ she said.
“If Mr Albanese truly supports the mining sector in Western Australia he should rule out once and for all these laws ever coming back to Parliament,’’ Senator Cash said.
“He won’t do that because he knows that if he is forced into minority Government after the next election, he will have to do a deal with the Greens and these laws will be front and centre,’’ she said.
“A second term Albanese government will be terrible for Western Australia but a Labor-Greens alliance government will be an absolute disaster for our great State,’’ Senator Cash said.
“As the mining sector has pointed out many times these laws are a direct attack on WA and will threaten future mining projects,’’ she said.
“The Albanese Government’s attack on Western Australia’s mining industry is not limited to the EPA Bill,’’ Senator Cash said.
“This Government decided to implement radical industrial relations reforms that, through the collective bargaining provisions, have gifted the unions entrée back into the Pilbara,’’ Senator Cash said.
“The Coalition’s support of the Western Australian mining industry is unequivocal,’’ she said.
“The Coalition will further turbo charge the sector by dramatically cutting the approval times for new projects and clearing away red tape which is strangling investment,’’ Senator Cash said.
“We believe this is the best way to encourage and assist the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven our great State for so long,’’ she said.
“Mining and resources companies have been telling us for some time that by significantly improving these processes will save them billions of dollars and will help bring projects online years earlier than in the past,’’ Senator Cash said.
“This will drive more jobs sooner in Western Australia and give certainty to investment decisions. It is better for the sector and for Western Australia both in the short and long terms.”
ENDS
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