Sally McManus refuses to back Adani coal mine

Australia's top union leader has hedged on whether the Adani coal mine should be approved, putting her at odds with Queensland workers campaigning for the controversial project to go ahead.

Sally McManus said it would be "weird" if she signed the CFMMEU pledge.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said she would not sign a pledge being circulated by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union outlining support for coal jobs.

"We're not a political party, we're the ACTU," Ms McManus told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Wednesday.

Read the story from The Age by Sumeyya Iiannbey and Dana McCauley - “Sally McManus refuses to back Adani coal mine.”

Shorten goes colder on Adani coal mine as the battle for Batman begins

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has taken a further step toward opposing the proposed Queensland Adani coal mine as he starts campaigning for the Batman byelection, where Labor is fighting off a strong challenge from the Greens.

Bill Shorten said he had become increasingly
sceptical of Adani in recent months. 

Shorten was appearing with Labor’s candidate Ged Kearney, who on Friday resigned as ACTU president to contest the byelection.

Shorten seized on a Guardian Australia report that said Adani put in “an altered laboratory report” when appealing a fine for contamination of wetlands near the Great Barrier Reef.

Shorten said he had become increasingly sceptical of Adani in recent months.

If Adani was “relying on false information, that mine does not deserve to go ahead”.

Read the piece on The Conversation by Michelle Grattan - “Shorten goes colder on Adani coal mine as the battle for Batman begins.”