We cherish this country because it affords opportunities like no other. But only – and I stress this point – if we’re governed well. When Australia is governed badly, dreams and ambitions become beyond reach. And that’s what’s happened during the last three years under the Albanese Government.

So mining pays the bills for Australia and I start all of my presentations with that because that is an incredibly important thing to know and I’m not sure that Australians do know that anymore. We certainly know the Treasurer doesn’t know that. And at the budget last year with a $50 billion surplus from windfall prices, he managed in his budget speech to not mention mining at all, much less coal, gas or iron ore. Couldn’t find anywhere to mention that in his speech. That is shocking.

Planned new major Australian resource projects are stalling at more than double the rate of a year ago with new analysis by the Government’s Chief Economist exposing $119 billion of stalled and cancelled projects in the coal, iron-ore and gas sectors.

Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald has praised coal miner New Hope for weathering a now-abandoned legal storm brought on by the taxpayer-funded Environmental Defenders Office.

The Labor Government’s $8.3 million grant to the Environmental Defenders Office is looking even more scandalous after a review into the organisation’s use of Commonwealth funding in the Barossa gas pipeline case was quietly released on Thursday night.

 Federal Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald has hailed the opening of Olive Downs steel-making coal mine in Central Queensland, and urged the Albanese Government to remove impediments on the coal sector.

Shadow Minister for Resources and for Northern Australia, Senator Susan McDonald, has labelled a Greens-led Senate Inquiry into the Northern Territory’s Middle Arm development precinct a “farce” amid revelations witnesses at this week’s Darwin hearings had been threatened with “tribal punishment”.

The Environmental Defenders Office has been accused again of launching vexatious legal action to hamper approved developments, this time in an attempt to scuttle a new Queensland steel-making coal mine.

I want to start my remarks by reaffirming that the Coalition is a strong and ardent supporter of the resources sector, and is committed to the future of mining in this country.

Federal Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald, has labelled Queensland and Federal Labor’s attacks on Australian coal mining “utter madness” as figures show coal’s enormous contribution to Queensland’s economy.