Anthony Albanese And Labor Love Coal, And People Are Pissed

It seems not even the sight of Australia going up in flames is enough to end our politicians love affair with coal, with Anthony Albanese the latest to talk it up.

The Labor leader said Australia can keep exporting coal while also having strong climate change policies — and he doesn’t see the massive contradiction in that.

Albanese wants to have his cake and eat it too. The elephant in the room is that expansion of coal and gas is inconsistent with emissions reduction. Nothing fair dinkum in that.

— David Hudspeth (@HudspethDave) December 8, 2019

He made the comments ahead of a visit to regional Queensland, where Labor lost a lot of support in the lead up to the election.

“If Australia stopped exporting today there would not be less demand for coal — the coal would come from a different place,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“So it would not reduce emissions — which has to be the objective. I don’t see a contradiction between that and having a strong climate change policy.”

“We’ve got to consider what the actual outcome is from any proposal, and the proposal that we immediately stop exporting coal would damage our economy and would not have any environmental benefit.”

Appalling. How will Australia feed and water itself as our nation gets even hotter and drier? What about all the non-coal jobs that disappear without tourism, agriculture etc? C’mon @AlboMP , try to show some differences to @LiberalAus #auspoI

— Prof Rebecca Ritchie (@rebeccahritchie) December 8, 2019

@australianlabor needs to reconcile the interests of coal miners and those who desire a more progressive economic agenda. Backing coal isn’t the answer. How about demanding that the govt develops a white paper on AI and Employment to deal with the coming tsunami of job losses.

— Michelle Coxhead (@auspoljunk) December 8, 2019

That is terribly weak! There is no ledership here! No courage to make decisions that have to be made to secure the future of our children.

— Karin Wiese (@ktwiese) December 8, 2019

Albanese is based in inner-west Sydney, where bushfire smoke has led to the highest levels of air pollution ever seen in New South Wales.

I would say insane or making money off fossil fuels like our government is, but if you’re gonna prioritise money over breathable air quality you’d have to be insane too.

Don’t normally do political tweets but I’m mad. Just have a scroll through #AustraliaBurns and you’ll get it.

— Connor (@ConnorGoudie) December 9, 2019

Reducing our reliance on coal is a touchy subject in Queensland, where so many jobs rely on the industry.

According to 2018 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics mining has the highest median weekly earnings, at around $1950 a week.

Queensland is due to vote in a state election late next year.

The planet’s on fucking fire
There are a lot of things we could do to put it out
Are any of them free?
No, of course not
Nothing’s free, you idiots.
Grow the fuck up.

Bill Nye on #ClimateEmergency

This is an actual crisis#AustraliaBurns#auspolpic.twitter.com/ewJhPfcm97

— Prof Ray Wills (@ProfRayWills) December 9, 2019