Australia's new Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has vowed to bring "common sense" to the climate change debate, and has warned that he will fight for coal industry jobs as he pursues a price on carbon.
The Australian newspaper says the former union leader has predicted the coal industry "absolutely" has a future as he pursues his three key policy reform objectives: pursuing renewable energy; energy efficiency; and the development of a carbon price for Australia.
Insisting the Climate Change portfolio is an economic reform challenge, he said: "You don't take the back of the axe to the fundamentals of the Australian economy."
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Mr Combet's new role puts him in cabinet for the first time.
As part of its deal to secure government, Labor signed a formal alliance with the Greens, whose policies include the eventual phasing out of the coal industry, Australia's biggest export earner.
But in an interview with The Australian, Mr Combet said his background as a former coal engineer, union official and MP with coal workers in his NSW electorate means he does not believe his job is to shut down the coal industry.
"I don't agree with that. That's not part of my job at all," he said.
"I am acutely aware of the challenges that this policy presents. But people jump to these absolute positions, and I just don't think that's appropriate.
"I've got a responsibility to support those people's jobs. The coal industry is a very vibrant industry with a strong future. What you've got to do is look to how we can achieve in the longer term things like carbon capture and storage for coal-fired power stations."
