• LNP pressures Labor to bring forward debate on its controversial underground water bill

• Labor laws threaten hundreds of jobs at the Acland mine on the Darling Downs and thousands of jobs at the proposed Adani mine

• Annastacia Palaszczuk says one thing about Adani project in North Queensland and then does another in SE Queensland where green votes keep her in government

The LNP Opposition has moved to end the damaging uncertainty facing Adani’s Carmichael coal mine project and New Hope’s Acland Stage 3 coal mine project in the face of more green tape from the Palaszczuk Labor Government.

Shadow Mines Minister, Andrew Cripps, said the LNP had moved a motion to bring forward the parliamentary debate on Labor’s Environmental Protection (Underground Water Management) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016, in an effort to end the endless uncertainty about the future of these two projects.

“Today’s rally outside the Queensland Parliament by employees and supporters of New Hope’s Acland Stage 3 project on the Darling Downs shows how desperate workers and local communities have become to get their message across to this Labor government,” Mr Cripps said.

“Today’s cry for help follows last week’s open letter from business, industry and civic leaders across North and Central Queensland calling on the Palaszczuk Government to ensure Adani’s Carmichael project faced no further delays.

“Why won’t Annastacia Palaszczuk listen to rural and regional communities crying out for the jobs and business opportunities these mining projects deliver?

“She pretends to be right behind the Adani project when she’s in North Queensland, but as soon as she’s back in Brisbane she does anything and everything to keep her greenie friends happy.

“If she’s so supportive of Adani, why is she letting her Environment Minister Steven Miles introduce laws that jeopardise the project?

“Only the LNP is providing the leadership to protect current and future jobs in our resources sectors.”

Mr Cripps said he was surprised and disappointed to learn yesterday that the CFMEU had directed its members attending the rally outside the Queensland Parliament today not to wear any clothing that would identify them as members of the Union.

“I would have expected that unions like the CFMEU and the AWU would have seized this opportunity to support the efforts of their members to secure their jobs, which are being put at risk by Labor’s ongoing relationship with the extreme Greens,” he said.

“It appears union members are only allowed to be ‘union proud, union strong’ when the union bosses think it won’t hurt the political fortunes of the Palaszczuk Government – despite the jobs of its rank and file members hanging in the balance.”