Statement from the Premier

My Government’s support of the mining sector is well known, has been demonstrated on many occasions, and has been personally conveyed to the sector by myself and my senior Ministers.

Therefore, in a bipartisan fashion, we will join with the Opposition and support the motion regarding the mining industry put before the House in the debate tonight.

In a similar bipartisan fashion, my Government stands ready to move a motion in the House today to appoint the Member for Toowoomba North as the permanent Chair of the PCCC.

If the Member for Toowoomba North is not acceptable to the Opposition Leader, we would also support the nomination of the Member for Warrego, or in fact any reasonable nomination from the LNP backbench, outside of the Member for Callide.

This is a fair, reasonable proposition which I believe the Opposition should support.

It would mean that the question around the Chairpersonship of the PCCC would be resolved today.

This issue should not be dragged out any longer. I think this proposal demonstrates that I am willing to reach a compromise solution which can be implemented today.

Today I spoke with the Opposition Leader directly and made this offer. He refused to move away from his single nomination.

It should be remembered that installing a non-Government MP with bipartisan support as the Chair of the PCCC is an election commitment I made. The former Government installed their own MP as Chair of the PCCC, after they sacked the original non-Government Chair as well as the entire Committee in the middle of the night.

Should this proposal not be accepted by the Opposition, they will stand condemned for their failure to reach a reasonable compromise on this issue.

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