Last weekend saw a huge moment in Australian politics. After being reduced to a rump in the 2012 election the ALP finalised their triumphant return to Queensland Government.
On the other side of the world there was another momentous occasion. In line with Global Divestment Day, the three major parties of the United Kingdom (the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats) signed a joint pledge to to phase out coal use.
These two moments may seem thousands of kilometres apart, but happening on the same weekend, they are in fact extremely close.
While the UK was pledging to phase out coal, the Queensland Government already started to face pressure over major coal projects in the state. As quickly as their election was declared Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt stated he was holding off on approvals for two large coal developments — the new Acland Coal Mine and the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. The two projects have both been extremely controversial (for different reasons) and Hunt’s position immediately places pressure on the ALP Government to act soon. The question is, what will they do?
So far the ALP has made some right noises over these projects. After it was revealed the company behind the Acland Coal Mine donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the LNP the new Government promised to scrutinise the process that led to its approval. Up north and the ALP has vowed to remove all Government financial support for the Abbot Point Development. These moves are likely to delay the construction of these two projects, putting their development into further doubt.
Yet, while these moves are good, it is time for the ALP to go further.
For years now the ALP have heralded themselves as the champions of our climate, and more recently of our Great Barrier Reef. In passing a carbon price in federal Parliament the party positioned itself as the only party acting on the science of the issue, calling the LNP deniers and climate vandals. We saw this play out in Queensland, in particular around the Reef. The ALP ran hard on Reef issues, with the issue seen to have played a large role in their winning numerous inner city Brisbane seats.
Yet, when it comes to the crunch, the ALP still supports the construction of these projects. If seen through their policies will at best delay construction, with the impacts on the Reef and climate still being felt.
The time for that support has to come to an end. As climate change continues to accelerate the ALP can no longer claim to respect the science while continuing to dig up coal. Delays are no longer good enough. If the party is serious about protecting the climate and the reef it will seriously look at ending the mining and export of this commodity for real.
Around the world global leaders are taking up this challenge. On top of the UK commitment in recent years we’ve seen China place a cap on coal usage, while India has increased taxes on coal mined or imported into the country. In the United States President Barack Obama has placed restrictions on pollution from coal fired power plants and looks likely to soon reject the Keystone XL Pipeline, a significant shift away from the fossil fuel industry.
The Queensland ALP has the opportunity to join this global trend. Moving on their election platform straight away would be a good start. But the party needs to do more. The Abbot Point Coal Terminal and Acland Coal mine, along with other coal projects in the state, should simply not be built. They are not good for our economy, our Reef and more importantly our climate.
The opportunity is there. It’s time for the ALP to finally take it.
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