Shorten critical of Bandt's 'blood' claim

Labor leader Bill Shorten thinks it's wrong of the Greens to link the possible devastation from Cyclone Debbie with coal-generated electricity.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Mitchell

File image of Bill Shorten (AAP) Source: AAP

Bill Shorten has criticised the Greens for linking potential deaths from Cyclone Debbie with coal-fired power.

Greens MP Adam Bandt suggested Prime Malcolm Turnbull will have blood on his hands if the commonwealth helps subsidise loans for new coal-fired electricity generation.

"If Malcolm Turnbull uses scarce public money to build a new coal-fired power station he'll have blood on his hands," Mr Bandt told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"Because the more coal we burn, the more extreme weather events like Cyclone Debbie or Cyclone Yasi we will see and people will suffer."

He also likened such a situation to knowing that tobacco causes cancer but starting your kids on a pack a day habit, or knowing asbestos kills but cladding your family home in it anyway.

But the Labor leader said the Greens shouldn't be using such language.

"I think that's a disservice to the people of north Queensland," Mr Shorten later told reporters.

Watch: Bill Shorten criticises the Greens for linking coal-fired power plants to Cyclone Debbie




Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world