Greens are not anti-coal??



JULIA Gillard has repudiated Bob Brown's call for the coal industry to be replaced by renewable technologies, saying coal has an assured future under a carbon price.

The mining industry has accused the Greens leader of inconsistency between his comments last Sunday and his recent attempt -- on the ABC's 7:30 program -- to distance himself from a 2007 column in which he wrote that climate change needed to be addressed by reducing coal exports and emissions.

On the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday, Senator Brown was asked whether the carbon price would close down some coalmines overnight. "I would not figure that in because they are just so highly profitable. But that has to be the outcome. You know the coal industry has to be replaced by renewables."

The Prime Minister said she did not agree with Senator Brown, and the government would co-operate with the coal industry in the transition to a carbon price.

"I've said we will work with the coal industry so it has got a future, and we will do that. I'm very determined to do that, and to support the employment of people who work in the coal industry," she said.

Australian Coal Association executive director Ralph Hillman said it was regrettable that coalmining, "which is Australia's largest export industry, employing thousands of people and supporting thousands more Australian families, is regarded by Senator Brown as dispensable".

Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Mitch Hooke said Senator Brown was contradicting his own assurances.

"Just over a month ago, on the ABC's 7.30 program, Senator Brown denied he was seeking to shut down the coal industry, instead blaming a Murdoch press conspiracy for misrepresenting his position," Mr Hooke said.

"But on Insiders on Sunday, Senator Brown confirmed his party's ultimate goal was to close down Australia's coal sector.

"In addition to again contradicting his own assurances, the comments cast real doubt on Senator Brown's grasp of the economy, and raise questions about the potential harm that could be visited on the economy while the Greens hold the balance of power."