Lobbyist who provided Morrison’s lump of coal joins PM’s advisory team

Present PM and former Treasurer, Scott Morrison,
 in parliament with his infamous lump of coal

In case there was any doubt about the ties that bind Australia’s top coal lobbyists with the federal Coalition government, former Minerals Council of Australia CEO Brendan Pearson has been tapped as a senior adviser to Scott Morrison.

The appointment, revealed in The Australian on Wednesday, shifts Pearson up in the Coalition pecking order from the office of the minister for finance, Mathias Cormann, to Morrison’s inner sanctum.

It also reunites the Prime Minister with the likely source of the infamous lacquered lump of coal he brandished in Parliament back in 2017, when Pearson still headed up the Minerals Council.

Read the story from RenewEconomy by Sophie Vorrath - “Lobbyist who provided Morrison’s lump of coal joins PM’s advisory team.”

Turnbull's new climate and energy adviser worked for coal industry lobby group

Sid Marris - it seems the PM has put the
 fox in charge of the henhouse.

Malcolm Turnbull’s next climate and energy adviser will be Sid Marris, who is leaving his role as head of climate and environment at the coal industry lobby group, the Minerals Council of Australia.

The appointment comes amid a push from the Turnbull government for new coal-fired generators to be built, a suggestion enthusiastically welcomed by the Minerals Council.

Marris has worked for the Minerals Council since 2008, after spending 16 years at the Australian newspaper, filling roles including Canberra bureau chief, online political editor and economic correspondent.

The chief executive of the Minerals Council, Brendan Pearson, said: “Sid is a high-quality professional with very strong analytical and policy skills. We will miss him and wish him well.”

But the pressure group 350.org said the move raised further questions about government links to the coal industry.

Read Michael Slezak’s story on The Guardian - “Turnbull's new climate and energy adviser worked for coal industry lobby group.”