MEECHAM PHILPOTT: QME, the Queensland Mining Exhibition, starts today. The guest list is a veritable who's who of movers and shakers in the resources industry. And, of course, we've got a lot of politicians who are going to be here over the next couple of days as well. The Federal Minister for Natural Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King's, in town for QME and is in fact, the opening keynote speaker in around 20 minutes or so. So, I guess I better get into the interview straight away. Minister, welcome to the program.

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Oh, it's a pleasure to be here, Meech. How're you going?

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: I'm going all right. Now, I've got to ask you, you're speaking every single day. You hear other people speak every day. We've been talking this morning about various phrases that kind of drive us a little bit nuts. Have you got any?

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Have I got any? Well, there's more than one. But, you know, going forward, I'll be reaching out, leaning into. They're my three worst.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: That's good. I'm glad you were able to speak to this subject. This point in time there's a few people getting stuck into that because there is no point in time when you think about it. So, by the time you've said it, you've moved on.

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: But I do understand why people have to use these phrases sometimes. It's to buy time, so I am forgiving of it, but I know it drives me nuts as well, so I do understand.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: Well, I'm glad you asked me that question. That's excellent, Minister. Thank you. Hey, let's talk a little bit about coal, because, I mean, it's a big part of the world where we live. Something I wanted to talk about was met coal. Now, if you talk to analysts and whatnot, they are saying that the metallurgical coal, coal that's used for making steel has got a pretty good, it's got a pretty good future in this part of the world, because with so many renewable projects, we need that coal to be able to build steel. What's the point? Where do you come from on this particular subject? At the federal government level?

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Oh, well, the analysts are right. There is a need, an ongoing need, for met coal to produce steel. And, you know, I flew in late last night, in from Brisbane, and I was again amazed at the number of ships that just sit out off the coast here. And I got my ship tracker out when I landed, and I think there’s easily about 25, maybe 30, even, all lined up very orderly, waiting to pick up those loads of met coal. And I do go through these ship trackers because I'm a bit of a nerd like that. And, you know, they are going off to be combined with the iron ore from Western Australia to make steel up in Korea, and also Japan and also China. And you're quite right, these, what I would call traditional resources, are absolutely essential to build the frames. The parts that all go into wind turbines to solar panels, to motor vehicles, our cities. You know, every building we live in has an extraordinary amount of steel componentry and it does need, at the moment, and for the foreseeable future, met coal to be a part of that. I mean, I look forward to the day when we have green steel. I think that will be an extraordinary revolution, but there's a lot of work to be done on that and there's a lot of people investing in it. But for the meantime, for Mackay and other places throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales, the met coal industry will remain strong as an export industry for some time to come.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: Thank you for bringing up green steel because environmentalist groups, when you speak to them, point to it all the time like it's ready to go. From your point of view, I mean, you've got the inside track on this. I'm being told it's at least 20 to 30 years away from going full steam. Is that the kind of info and feedback you're getting?

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Look, there's a lot of investment going into it at the moment. But it's like green hydrogen as well. These are really important developments and we do need to, to back in the research and that technological advance. But yeah, it is a fair way off, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't pursue it. And it's the same for carbon capture use of storage, but we know it's not perfect just yet. But that's no reason to dismiss it out of hand like some activist groups choose to do. The important thing is we have these options around how to decarbonise, whether it's green steel or green hydrogen or carbon capture and storage. And we should continue to pursue the research and development and investment in those. And there are projects in green steel, but it's a fair way away. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep pursuing it, you know, with vigour.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: Sure. Hear what you say. Challenges ahead as far as met coal goes, how do you see that?

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Oh, well, there's the challenges of every very busy resources state in this country. Here in Queensland and my home state of Western Australia, labour shortages is one of the things that really can be an issue in the resources sector, and that's very much part of the coal story as well. I think in communities where I am today and Mackay and others up and down Queensland and New South Wales, these communities are very supportive of this industry because they know their community is built off the back of the resources sector. So, I think there will always be challenges. There always have been, too, I might add. But communities like this are the ones that make sure it keeps going.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: Okay. Special guest this morning who will be at QME a little bit later on, in fact, keynote speaker in about 20 minutes or so is the Federal Minister for Resources, Madeleine King. So, can I ask you, this is another thing I get from environmental groups all the time. They always keep pointing at the coal mining industry and just saying, the government hands out all this money to make coal mining. Well, now, I've been through this a million times, left, right and centre, I just cannot find any evidence of this at all. The only thing I can come up with is the fuel rebate scheme, where if you're not using a vehicle on a public road, you don't pay that forty-two cents per litre. That's all I can find. Your call, please.

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Meech, well, you can't find any evidence because there isn't any. You're absolutely right. There is no fossil fuel subsidies out of the current Labor Government, and there was not that much, in fact, out of the former government. But the diesel fuel rebate is what the activist groups and the Greens political party and some of the independent senators and other members of parliament will go on and on about as a fossil fuel subsidy. But what it is, is a diesel rebate for farm vehicles, but also mining vehicles that drive around on roads that they have built themselves and are not public roads. They're the big hall packs that take ore and other minerals around the mines, or they're the agricultural vehicles. So, it's kind of fair that those users of diesel don't contribute to the roads which those vehicles do not use. So, when you say you can't find any evidence that doesn't surprise me because there isn't any evidence, because what people are being sold is a pup, it's not true, so I'm with you.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: Minister I'm wondering if you've got any concerns over the stoush going on in Queensland at the moment. Queensland Labor Government, of course, increased royalties, as you would expect, the mining houses are just saying, you're killing us here. QRC, of course, their lobby group are coming in and just saying, look, we risk killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Is that a worry from your point of view? Can we kill the goose that laid the golden egg?

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: I think it's always really important to be open and consult with industry, all industry for that matter, but particularly resources sector. And I know there's been a lot of concern out of the Queensland coal industry about the royalties increase, but it really is a matter for the state government. You know, they have a, you know, an obligation to the rest of the community too, to ensure there is funding for hospitals and roads and so on and so forth. So, and I've spoken to the Treasurer about this and I'm sure he knows the concerns of the resources sector here in Queensland just like I have. But for me, as the Federal Resources Minister, the work we're trying to do is to make sure we're very open and there's no surprises for the resources sector here, coming from me.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: All right, I'll have to leave it there because I've got to let you go and have a speech. Thanks for your time this morning. Please enjoy QME and Mackay while you're here.

MINISTER MADELEINE KING: Thanks so much, Meech. Talk to you again later.

MEECHAM PHILPOTT: Good on you. Thank you Minister. Madeleine King there, Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia.