The Melbourne University academic George Rennie, an expert on lobbying, sees the mining sector as one of the most powerful groups in Australia. Mining and energy industry executives met the Queensland premier, deputy premier or treasurer 44 times in 2017-18 alone. The Grattan Institute data shows the mining sector is responsible for the highest proportion of major donations to political parties. “There’s also a fair bit of exchange of staff between mining and energy companies and political offices,” Griffiths told the Guardian. Dom Rowe, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s programme director, said Australia’s lack of credible climate policy could be directly attributed to the industry’s influence.

Source: The Guardian October 10, 2019 10:52 UTC