BHP and Rio Tinto-funded advocacy continues to subvert democracy

The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility​ (ACCR)  is commenting on the Minerals Council of Australia’s recent threat to fund an anti-Labor advertising campaign against “bad policies” such as a potential windfall profit tax on coal exports.

Commenting on the MCA’s comments, Harriet Kater, Climate Lead at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) said:

“Australia’s democracy has been consistently and relentlessly undermined by resource company-funded scare campaigns.

“It is time for institutional shareholders in major mining companies to take a stand.

“An industry association is the sum of its parts and this recent threat to the Government’s policy agenda - which of course includes its climate policies - is brought to you by BHP, Rio Tinto and South32.

“If this campaign is implemented it risks a further extension of the climate wars.

“BHP and Rio Tinto must rein in the MCA immediately.

“Institutional shareholders have to be alert to the risks this time. They must engage early and forcefully with BHP, Rio Tinto and South32 to ensure they constrain the negative conduct of their industry associations.

“BHP, Rio and South32 remain complicit in this conduct as paying members of the Minerals Council of Australia.”