The United Australia Party was strongly committed to the support and future development of the Queensland coal industry, Federal Leader Clive Palmer said today.
“Coal is Queensland’s biggest export and the backbone of the economy,” Mr Palmer said.
“It is our cheapest form of power and is the basis of the manufacturing industry across Australia.
“Without coal, we are in the stone age,” Mr Palmer said.
Mr Palmer said Australians desperately needed the kind of cheaper power experienced in countries including China, Japan and Korea whose low energy prices were based on Queensland coal.
“The manufacturing sectors in these countries are built on value-adding to Queensland resources, leading to increased wages and higher living standards.
“These manufactured products are then sent back to Australia as high-cost imports.
“Japan has become the world’s third largest economy by processing Australian resources.
“Japan suffers from the tyranny of distance and wages are also higher, yet Australia sells its coal at a low price per tonne and Japan sells final products for hugely increased costs.
“Processing Queensland and Australian resources at home will create jobs, increase exports and provide a higher standard of living,” Mr Palmer said.
Mr Palmer said movements such as Get Up and other foreign-influenced groups were forcing Australia backwards.
“Now we have a Victorian in Bill Shorten trying to tell us what we should be doing in Queensland.
“It’s time to tell Get Up to get out of Queensland,” Mr Palmer said.
