Sydney, Aug 8
Even though the mining pundits
are convinced that India's Adani Group is all set to quit Australia
because of a chain of delays, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come out
openly to support the proposed mega coal mine project owned by Gautam
Adani-led Indian conglomerate.
Abbot has expressed "anger"
and "frustration" over a Federal Court decision to set aside the
environmental approval for Adani Group's proposed mega coal mining
project in central Queensland.
"While it's absolutely true that
we want the highest environmental standards to apply to projects in
Australia, and while it's absolutely true that people have a right to go
to court, this is a $21 billion investment, it will create 10,000 jobs
in Queensland and elsewhere in our country," Abbott said while talking
to media on Friday.
"Let them go ahead for the workers of
Australia and for the people of countries like India who right at the
moment have no electricity," Australian PM said while implying that coal
exported from the proposed mega mine would have fired multiple power
plants in the South Asian country.
Tony Abbott is believed to
be worried about the message the Federal Court decision could give to
the potential foreign investors. The continuous opposition to Adanis and
other foreign investors in general can send wrong signals to those who
are looking for investments in various sectors, he said.
"Already the Adani group has invested about $3 billion in Australia in
preparation for this further investment," Tony Abbott said.
Whatever the motive, Australian Prime Minister has come under severe
attack for defending Adani's project in Queensland's Galilee Basin.
Various political, environment protection and legal commentators have
lambasted Tony Abbott for his comments.
NSW Bar Association president Jane Needham is among those who expressed concern at Tony Abbott's 'anti-judiciary' remarks.
"These comments demonstrate a lack of understanding of the independent
role of the courts in our democracy," she was quoted in an article which
is among the top read Fairfax Press articles.
"The courts
exist to make decisions according to the law, not to further the
interests of particular individuals or organisations, including
government," Needham said.
Although the Australian Opposition
leader Bill Shorten did not say anything against Adani Group's coal
mine, he attacked the Liberal Government for the "haste" with which it
approved the project.
"Half this mess we're in with Adani is
because the government rushed its approvals and then it got tripped up
in the court system," Bill Shorten said in a statement.
The environment protection groups have also joined the chorus of criticism.
"The legal system is in place to protect us and the world around us.
Clearly the government thinks it is above the law," Mackay Conservation
Group coordinator, Ellen Roberts said.
Adani too came under direct attack from others.
"It's typical that Adani, who have ridden roughshod over India's
environment laws, consider Australia's native animals mere
technicalities." Mackay Conservation Group coordinator Ellen Roberts has
been quoted in Australian media as saying. Her organisation had
launched the legal challenge against Adani Group
"These laws
protect not only yakka skinks and ornamental snakes, but all Australian
plants and animals," Ellen Roberts said. These two illusive native
animals see to have jeopardized the Indian conglomerate's investment of
$3 billion.
Greenpeace International, which is embroiled in a
bitter legal battle with the Indian Government, has also fired a salvo
at someone defending the commercial interests of a person considered
very close to Prime minister Narendra Modi.
"It deeply, deeply
concerns me when a government that claims to be, not only a democracy,
but claims to be a promoter of democracy, would bark at the judiciary
when they exercise their role and their independence," executive
director of Greenpeace International Kumi Naidoo said in a statement.
(Rekha Bhattacharjee can be contacted at [email protected])
