Mr REPACHOLI (Hunter) (13:50) 

Three years ago, the coalition, especially the Nationals, said, 'You shouldn't trust Labor to support the Hunter's coal industry.' They said that coalmines would close under our watch and that workers would be left high and dry. That couldn't be more wrong. The coalmines in the Hunter are thriving. In fact, there has not been a single coalmine closure under this government—not one.

We've said that, if it stacks up environmentally, we won't stand in the way of extensions. We've kept our word. We've seen MACH Energy's Mount Pleasant open-cut mine, Yancoal's Ashton underground mine and even Whitehaven Coal's Narrabri underground mine all receive extensions. We will never stand in the way of workers and good, safe and secure employment. Maybe the coalition could have kept these mines open as well. But it's not just about keeping mines open; it's about making sure that the mines are a fair place to go to work. That's where we made a real difference.

We said that we'd end the scourge of labour hire, and we did it. We brought in same job, same pay legislation, and those opposite opposed it. We closed the labour hire loopholes that were being used by big business to rip off the hardworking coalminers of the Hunter. Only a Labor government can be trusted not only to keep the mines open but also to ensure miners have good, safe, secure work conditions and get paid what they deserve for doing that hard job and get paid what their mates are getting paid next to them. Only Labor cares about same job, same pay. The Nationals and Dutton will rip that away.