Bill Shorten is anti-mining and anti-Queensland

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has slammed Bill Shorten as “anti-mining” and “anti-Queensland” after the Labor leader secretly promised to revoke the Adani mining licence to millionaire businessman and environmentalist Geoff Cousins.

Senator Hanson said “When I was first elected to the Senate, I tried maintaining a cordial relationship with Bill Shorten as Labor leader but that lasted all but three or four meetings at most.”

“During one of our final meeting, midway through 2017, Bill Shorten said to my face he was pro-coal, unlike others within Labor, and yet over recent weeks, leading into the Victorian by-election of Batman, he has completely flipped on support for miners and the coal industry.”

Australia’s resources and energy earnings last financial year were worth $205 billion dollars to the national economy with coal and iron ore making up over 50% of Australia’s steel-making commodities.

“I had initially taken a very critical view of the Adani project and its company before investigating a raft of concerns including water, their environmental plans, farmer’s land rights surrounding the mine, native title matters and countless court proceedings. In the end, I found the only objection I had was with the ownership of the railway – everything else I was comfortable with.” Senator Hanson said.

Senator Hanson pointed to Labors willingness to accept political donations from Adani when it suited them, but when it comes down to accepting Greens preferences to win elections, Labor have been forced to turn their back on their mining mates.

“Bill Shorten will stop at nothing to keep the Greens preference deal alive, even if it means killing off up to 10,000 indirect and direct jobs for Central and North Queensland towns who have been struggling with ailing economies.” Senator Hanson said.

“Using weasel words and cheap, orchestrated excuses before viewing the facts is a complete con-job aimed at every blue collar worker in this country.”

“Bill Shorten has just demonstrated how Governments or wannabe Prime Ministers can manipulate approvals and shut down business in Australia with the click of his coal stained fingers.”

“Coal miners and mining companies across Australia should be extremely paranoid if Labor win the next election. It starts with one coal mine being closed down and ends with the whole mining industry on its knees.”