“On top of an ongoing obsession to impose new taxes on our industry, Australia’s resource employers have been unfairly demonised twice in the past fortnight,” he said.

A recent trade union campaign and parliamentary committee report into the impacts of fly-in, fly-out workers on communities have angered the AMMA executive, who believes the government is not letting the mining industry “get on with the job”

“The Cancer of the Bush headline arising from the committee’s report is demeaning to thousands of Australian FIFO workers and offensive to families who have lost loved ones to cancer,” Knott said.

“It is totally inappropriate for our nation’s leaders to stoop to such language.

“Instead, the government should be promoting existing initiatives already in place to transition Australians into mining employment and provide the training, skills and knowledge required to participate in the great opportunities within our industry.”

Knott highlighted the mining employment divide between skills available and skills required, stating there were 1800 vacant positions listed on the AMMA job board and 7600 Australian workers with their resume uploaded.

“It’s time for government and unions to stop opportunistically demonising the resource industry,” he said.

“Allow our sector to get on with the job of creating employment for Australians and contribute significantly to the economy and national prosperity.”