Federal Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten says Tony Abbott has put a sovereign risk into mining investment by backing the rights of farmers to deny access to their land...This is one policy the Greens have got right. Unless it's a national emergency, farmers should have the right to tell miners to bugger off. And they shouldn't be mining near fertile land anyway. So come on Abbott, you can pass this legislation. It's irrelevant that the Greens are reckless and dangerous in almost every other way. On this issue they are right.
Mr Abbott said while he wants the coal seam gas industry to flourish, anything that prejudiced prime agricultural land should not be allowed.
But Mr Shorten told the ABC's Insiders program Mr Abbott's comment was ill-considered.
"If you're going to upend the whole way of doing business in Australia here in the mining sector, I wouldn't do it with some reckless, risky thought bubble," he said.
"It doesn't matter what is a popular headline on a radio show. We need foreign investment in this country...
The Greens say they will introduce legislation in the Senate which would give farmers the right to stop coal seam gas miners accessing their land.
Greens leader Bob Brown says he has written to Mr Abbott asking him to work with the Greens so the legislation can succeed.
"It's a power that the Commonwealth has, and when you look at the configuration in Parliament with the Coalition, the Greens would be able to get this legislation through and into law before Christmas," he said.
Tony Abbott wedged over mines
Mr Abbott found himself in the unaccustomed position of being backed by Greens leader Bob Brown, who applauded him for putting farmers' rights first.File under: Bill Shorten - one bubble short of a thought.
"If you don't want something to happen on your land you ought to have a right to say no," Mr Abbott told Sydney radio host Alan Jones yesterday.
"Now, OK, under certain circumstances the government ought to be able to resume your land, but it's got to be done at a fair price." ... "people are entitled to be concerned about any situation where miners are coming on to land against the wishes of landholders"...
Queensland-based Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce welcomed Mr Abbott's support for farmers ... "What people on the land are finding is that someone can cut their fences and come on to their place and put down new roads and charge around, despite the fact that this is a property that's been bought and paid for," Senator Joyce said.
Yeah I saw that the day after I wrote it. Abbott is sickeningly vacuous.
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