Adani has taken Bill Shorten’s latest stance on its Queensland coal mine as good news and says it remains optimistic it can find the money needed to get the $16.5 billion project underway.
The federal opposition leader gave an assurance on Tuesday that Labor would not reverse approvals if it wins the next election, despite Mr Shorten’s personal scepticism.
His remarks came after months of flip-flopping on the project, leading to accusations he is simultaneously wooing coal miners and environmentalists.
The Indian mining giant has taken Mr Shorten’s most recent position as good news, and says it is forging ahead in its attempt to find financial backers.
“We welcome the comments from federal Labor that it will not seek to overturn the project’s 112 existing approvals,” Adani said in a statement on Tuesday.
It also pointed to the 12 legal challenges that had so far been used to test those approvals, and insisted its confidence of financing the project.
The company also railed against the notion of phantom jobs, a theory previously raised by Mr Shorten.
“There are 800 people working with us now across our operations and projects in Bowen, Townsville, Brisbane and at our sites,” the statement said.
Ripper, Bill. You’re no friend of mine nor the country you plan
on leading.