NSW Minerals Council chief Stephen Galilee has declined an invitation to debate the executive director of The Australia Institute Richard Denniss in a series of community forums on jobs and mining later this month.
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The Australia Institute (TAI) has been spruiking the forums, which will debate the ‘Battle for Jobs in the Hunter’, both through its website and social media.
Mr Denniss had hoped to debate Mr Galilee at three separate community forums in Muswellbrook, Gloucester and Newcastle over three nights from November 11 to 13.
The debate was to focus on local economies and local jobs and question whether coal and gas could co-exist with industries such as horse breeding, viticulture and tourism.
“Following a recent TV debate Mr Galilee challenged me to a series of debates in mining towns in the Hunter region,” Mr Denniss said.
“I accepted on the spot because I agree with Mr Galilee that there needs to be greater discussion about jobs in the Hunter and where they will come from in the future.”
But the Minerals Council said Mr Galilee would not be attending.
“TAI didn’t check if Mr Galilee was available on those particular dates,” a media spokesman for the organisation said.
“The posters being distributed by TAI are misleading and we’ve told them to stop advertising that Mr Galilee will be attending.”
Mr Denniss said the response by Mr Galilee and the NSW Minerals Council was disappointing.
“TAI has sought to facilitate this discussion by arranging public forums in Muswellbrook, Gloucester and Newcastle and Mr Galilee has been invited to speak on behalf of mining workers. Unfortunately he has declined this opportunity,” he said.
“I still think it is a discussion worth having, as do the many people in those towns who have indicated they will be attending and I hope Mr Galilee will reconsider.
“As it is a forum about jobs and a diversified Hunter economy, representatives from other local industries will also have a chance to speak.
“Despite Mr Galilee’s assertions, TAI is not anti-mining or anti-mining jobs.
“Our research seeks to place mining in the broader economic context of the Hunter and NSW and to remind people that other local industries create jobs too.”
The Gloucester forum will be held at the Senior Citizens Centre from 6pm to 7pm on Wednesday, November 12.
