Former Australian ALP Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and radio commentator and influential Liberal Party supporter Alan Jones combined to strongly reject the proposed Adani coalmine project in Queensland , during Q&A on ABC television .
Jones delivered especially trenchant criticism of the project , the Adani family , said even the Bank of India would not back the venture . He was scornful of any financial involvement by state and federal governments , the National Australia Infrastructure Fund , from which Adani is seeking a billion dollars .
During his forthright comments, Jones, who has made numerous attacks on the ABC over the years , said the ABC had done a wonderful job in providing the facts about Adani , apparently referring to the Four Corners investigation.
Jones also called for the removal of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull saying he would not win the next election . While expressing a similar attitude to Adani , Rudd, now a member of a US think tank , also brought out the impact of burning vast amounts of coal on climate change .
Surprisingly, the ABC online early news roundup in its coverage of Q and A did not mention , even in the additional key points raised in the debate, the overpowering demolition of Adani by Rudd and Jones.
Appearing on the next slot after Q and A , on Lateline, was Senator Matt Canavan , below , reinstalled as Minister for Northern Australia , after stepping down over the suggestion that his mother may have made him into a wandering Italian mandolin and piccolo player .
Spruiking somewhat like the outed former Kiwi and Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce , for whom he was once chief of staff , Canavan , who has severely criticised the ABC for its reporting of Adani , launched into an election speech for the LNP in the forthcoming Queensland state election , saying the LNP supported Adani and the coal associated industry .
Jones continued his attack on Adani when he appeared on Sky News with Peta Credlin when he claimed the mayors of both Townsville and Rockhampton had failed to declare a conflict of interest after receiving favours from Adani, before each voting to give the Indian coalminer an $18.5million hand out .
Jones continued his attack on Adani when he appeared on Sky News with Peta Credlin when he claimed the mayors of both Townsville and Rockhampton had failed to declare a conflict of interest after receiving favours from Adani, before each voting to give the Indian coalminer an $18.5million hand out .
In Townsville , where the Townsville City Council fell over itself to support Adani , even paid for a Murdoch Townsville Bulletin reporter to fly to India to get the Adani treatment and write some nebulous pieces , ratepayers are after the council with baseball bats because of a proposed $18.5million gift to Adani for a FIFO airport .
A massive petition calling on the council to rescind the proposal and deliver all documents related to the decision be made public for scrutiny was delivered to the council. Mayor Jenny Hill , in a Townsville Channel 7 report , brushed the petition aside , declaring that it had been signed by people from the four corners of the globe, not many locals , dismissing them as keyboard warriors.
Nowhere in the Channel 7 report was the mayor asked for a response to the Rudd and Jones criticism of Adani, possible involvement of the Sea Shepherd .
The revelation , not reported locally, that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had been promoting Adani in China is another indication that other major global financial institutions won't touch it with a barge pole . It also raises the possibility that the controversial Adani project could become part of Chinese president Xi Jinping's grand One Belt One Road plan for global trade.
Seen below is the view from Townsville across to Magnetic Island with the Stop Adani logo . When hundreds of residents gathered on the waterfront to spell out a human message of opposition to Adani , the Townsville City Council wanted a $3000 surety to pay for any damage resulting from the act. Local media did not pick up this absurd attempted requirement .
A massive petition calling on the council to rescind the proposal and deliver all documents related to the decision be made public for scrutiny was delivered to the council. Mayor Jenny Hill , in a Townsville Channel 7 report , brushed the petition aside , declaring that it had been signed by people from the four corners of the globe, not many locals , dismissing them as keyboard warriors.
Nowhere in the Channel 7 report was the mayor asked for a response to the Rudd and Jones criticism of Adani, possible involvement of the Sea Shepherd .
The revelation , not reported locally, that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had been promoting Adani in China is another indication that other major global financial institutions won't touch it with a barge pole . It also raises the possibility that the controversial Adani project could become part of Chinese president Xi Jinping's grand One Belt One Road plan for global trade.
Seen below is the view from Townsville across to Magnetic Island with the Stop Adani logo . When hundreds of residents gathered on the waterfront to spell out a human message of opposition to Adani , the Townsville City Council wanted a $3000 surety to pay for any damage resulting from the act. Local media did not pick up this absurd attempted requirement .
It will be interesting to see how the Townsville Bulletin handles the comments of Rudd and Jones , the growing outrage of ratepayers , the report , actually in the Bulletin , that there is a move to send the Green Peace Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin into Queensland waters to campaign against Adani .
And now , in a joint statement, the Anglican and Catholic bishops of Townsville have come out against proposed Galilee Basin projects , are concerned about the threat to the reef , well being of the environment , reported in the Sydney Morning Herald . Could it possibly make the front page of the Townsville Bulletin ?... NO. Not mentioned at all...as was the case in respect of Rudd and Jones .
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