‘Mining-hating’ Greens should give up their smartphones for clay tablets, says Canavan

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blog We’ve seen some pretty wild demands made in the Federal Parliament, but this one probably takes the cake … at least for this week. Queensland LNP Senator Matt Canavan has accused the Australian Greens of being hypocrites for simultaneously having concerns about the regulation of Australia’s mining sector while also using smartphones which use minerals in their manufacture.

To be honest, this whole argument is probably too silly to seriously analyse. I think most people would be pretty clear that the Greens don’t want to shut all mining down (aside from coal, which they do want left in the ground), but rather regulate it. The major policy difference between the parties actually relates to the degree of the regulation.

But I would point out one thing to the good Senator Canavan: I suspect you are going to have a hard time prying Senator Ludlam’s smartphone out of his hands. A very, very hard time. Good luck with that one ;)

In any case, here’s Canavan’s statement:

Senator Matt Canavan has called on Greens MPs to hand in their smart phones.

“It’s the height of hypocrisy for Greens Members of Parliament to steadfastly oppose mining in Australia but continue to use technology that can’t exist without mining products,” Senator Canavan said today.

“For example, smart phones contain copper, gold, silver, indium tin oxide, silica, cobalt, carbon, aluminium, nickel and magnesium, all mined in Australia, and in fact require a total of 40 mined metals and minerals.

“And Greens MPs better hand in their laptops too, because they have plastic cases made from coal.”

Senator Canavan has successfully moved a motion in the Senate noting that the Australian mining industry generates $138 billion per annum in exports to Australia’s economy, that every smart phone depends on mining, and that opposition to Australia’s mining industry would restrict the supply of these mineral resources and opponents should therefore refrain from using these smart phones and tablets.

“The Greens might be happy with reverting to something like the fourth millennium BC Sumerian cuneiform writing on clay tablets – though that would still require mining of clay. Would they be alright with that?”

Image credit: Parliamentary Broadcasting

11 COMMENTS

  1. Maybe instead of bashing the opposition they should concentrate on winning back the public after they got booted out of QLD. Being *less* arseholey might be a good start.

    • The Nationals only exist as a party on paper they don’t stand for anything themselves as is evident by their actual voting pattern in parliament where they side the Libs even when they votes goes against things that the Nationals stand for.

      • I think a day of reckoning is definitely coming for the Nats in rural areas … the success of the Greens in some rural seats in the NSW election shows this.

        • I agree entirely. The real farmers are starting to notice the Nats are just sock puppets and actually voting on for stuff that directly harms them.

          And the Greens are the ones actually standing up for them (well, standing up for the actual “Mum and Dad” farming families….not the big agribusinesses).

          And it’s happening in QLD, NSW and Vic, so it’s not just a “local” phenomenon.

  2. I’m confused – what motion did he successfully move in the Senate? That MPs opposed to mining should hand in their tech? That doesn’t make any sense, it is schoolyard nonsense. As you pointed out, the Greens aren’t opposed to mining, just unsustainable, environmentally damaging, irresponsible mining.

    This whole thing is ludicrous in the extreme. I seem to recall Turnbull talking a week ago about facts, logic and reasonable arguments, that this was the end of sloganeering from his Government. So WTF is this childish sledging? Turnbull needs to get his Government under control or he is going to be made to look like an idiot (I mean, more so).

    • I think the opposite, he should let them all of their leashes so Australia can see what a pack of loons they really are ;o)

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