It has been revealed that the former LNP government in Queensland was prepared to forgo due diligence to providing taxpayer funding to Indian coal companies.
“Today we have seen another example of the depths the members of the LNP are willing to go for the fossil fuel industry”, said Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter.
“This represents a deeply unhealthy relationship between elected officials and fossil fuel companies. It undermines democracy and can lead to the ruin of special places like the Great Barrier Reef.
“It’s hard to fathom how taxpayers’ money could be given to a company to dredge the Reef without checking whether they have the capacity to pay it back. Leading international banks have said they won’t touch it. Treasury had doubts. But the LNP were pushing ahead.
“Queensland’s disclosure rules mean we don’t know what donations went to the LNP from fossil fuel companies before the last election.
“We know that both big coal and the LNP state government spruiked dubious jobs figures. We know that coal companies ran adverts in the state election consistent with the LNP government’s position. We also know that coal companies provide funding to the Queensland Resource Council which runs political campaigns.
“We know that the Queensland Resources Council ran ads called ‘Reef facts’ which linked to government hosted websites.
“And now the QRC is pushing for green groups to be silenced by the Federal Government through the House of Representatives Inquiry into the tax deductible status of green groups.
“We want to see all of this investigated with an independent inquiry to get to the bottom of all of this.
“We are troubled that the federal government is by the fossil fuel industry, of the fossil fuel industry and for the fossil fuel industry”, said Mr Ritter.
For more information please call Siobhan Lyttle 0432 828 004