Labor to keep Adani lobbyist: Palaszczuk

Queensland Labor has dismissed protesters calls to sack a lobbyist who counts Adani among his firm's clients from the party's election campaign.

Protesters opposing the Adani coal mine

Anti-Adani protesters are staging a week-long demonstration against the mining company. Source: AAP

Ten protesters have been charged after blocking access to Adani's Abbot Point coal port in central Queensland.

Indigenous elders, business owners and former coal workers converged on the site on Tuesday to demonstrate against the Indian mining giant.

The protesters were charged with trespass after allowing staff to leave but not enter the port.

"We simply can't let our politicians give a billion dollars of our money to a billionaire mining company," former coal miner Steve Bulloch said.

"I'll put my body on the line to make sure that they don't."

The protest was part of a series of events taking place this week as part of an ongoing bid to stop the construction of Adani's massive Carmichael coal mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin.

Dozens of people also gathered outside the Queensland ALP headquarters in Brisbane and called on the party to sack stalwart adviser Cameron Milner.

Mr Milner is a director at Next Level Strategic Services, a lobby group which counts Adani among its clients.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was quick to dismiss the demand.

"Cameron Milner is a great campaigner, he has worked as party secretary and his role is to advise on the campaign, clear and simple," she said.

Rallying alongside a puppet of Deputy Premier Jackie Trad under the control of Adani chairman Gautam Adani, protesters left written messages accusing the state government of being in bed with Adani and anxiety over climate change tacked to the building.

They also demanded Queensland Labor veto a proposed $1 billion Northern Australia Investment Fund loan to the firm, which is scheduled to break ground on the $16.5 billion mine in October.


Share
2 min read
Published 19 September 2017 3:32pm
Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends