While itâs impolite to mention ABS data when talking about the fossil fuel industry, the heresy isnât in quoting the facts, but providing the context. Try saying on radio that coal mining employs less than 1% of the population or that McDonalds employs more people. If you really want to invite the wrath of the âsensible centreâ just point out that the health and social services sector employs more than 10 times as many people as the combined fossil fuel industries.
Anyone providing such simple, truthful context to the Australian public is accused of hating working people, ignoring regional Australia, not understanding that fossil fuel exports somehow âfundâ our way of life or â bizarrely, when coming from people with no training in economics â not understanding how the economy works. All of this messenger shooting is, of course, complete bullshit. But in a democracy, power is the ability to talk BS and get away with it. And no industry wields as much power in Australia as mining.