ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The Nationals have slammed their opposition today after they joined forces to put the wellbeing of the bush and the land before mining profits and environmental vandalism.
A controversial coal seam gas project near Narrabri, a small to medium-sized town on the New South Wales north-western slopes, has entered its final stages of planning and the NSW Government is looking to fast-track its approval under the guise of creating essential jobs.
The New South Wales Deputy Premier, John Barilaro, labelled the attempts to stop the project going ahead as ‘counter-productive’.
“What regional New South Wales needs is jobs and this project will create jobs,” he said.
“What do the Shooters, Labor and the Greens want? Do they want people to just find other jobs? There’s no other jobs out there. If destroying some of the world’s most productive farmland for a few hundred jobs and the monetary equivalent of one Sydney Light Rail project, then so be it,”
“Santos has also agreed to pay some tax, which is better than none. Their tax will inject close to $340 back into the local economy,”
“You see, these are the types of things that farmers don’t understand. Ah, wait. I mean these green groups. These greenies are only upset because Santos racked up a total income of almost $15 billion over the four years but, even on the measly $27 million leftover in taxable income, they only managed to pay 11.5 per cent income tax, just one-third of the corporate rate. Just a touch over $3 million on $14,938 million,”
“The Nationals let this thing happen because it’s good for regional jobs. Fighting projects like the Narrabri Gas Project is just counterproductive.”
The Advocate spoke briefly to the Narrabri Lock The Gate Brigade about the gas project and why they hate regional jobs.
When asked by our reporter what jobs the north-west can look forward to without this $3bn gas project, the group’s spokesperson suggested maybe spending the bush’s tax money on things other than another infrastructure project for Sydney.
“Look, maybe they should start at the bottom and work their way up,” they said.
“Put some money into the schools out here so the teachers don’t have to dip into their own pockets to cover the gap. Maybe build a better hospital so people don’t have to be flown halfway across the state to receive even the most basic level of healthcare. Maybe invest in some mental health services out here. Right now, the only thing young people have in most small towns to help their mental health is the pub. You can go see a doctor but again, there’s only so much they can do with that the state government gives them. People like the fucking Nats expect a pat on their back for building a new bridge or getting you some mobile reception. Then they get back in their Prado, drive back into town playing on their phone and put their feet up. They say, ‘here’s your new bus stop, you dumb fucking rurals,’ this should fix your health care problems. Just get the bus to the city, you idiot. The problem isn’t the people, it isn’t the doctors or the teachers who’re doing the best they can. It’s the fucking Nationals. If you want the cleanest possible cut example of where the Nationals priorities are when it comes to the bush, here it is. A fucking gas project, worth fucking nothing in the scheme of things, instead of supporting the people they’ve built their brand on. They don’t care about the bush, they only care about their toad-throated fucken mates at Santos. Don’t you forget it.”
More to come.
