Now that the threat of ISIS seems to have been managed, it is open season on Adani lovers.   

 

Walking down Brisbane's Queen Street Mall with a #GoAdani T-shirt could be a life or death proposition these days.  

 

There should be warnings on any Adani communications about the possible safety hazards of repeating factual information about the Carmichael project. 

 

"Don't try this at home" might be also useful advice, especially around barbeques and dinners parties.

 

With all this all heat in the Adani debate, it is imperative that our political leaders look at the facts before them about the Carmichael project and don't get carried away by emotion and take the easy route of political opportunism.   

 

There is still a lot of ignorance about the reality of what Adani is proposing. A few punters only know what the Greens and environmentalist groups say about coal killing the Great Barrier Reef.

 

If Opposition leader Bill Shorten wants to stand above all the politically-motivated rhetoric on Adani, he should look at the merits of the Adani mine and not make value judgements about it being "evil".      

 

If he were to make a purely political decision, he would need to listen to his union constituency which is pro-Adani. 

 

A couple of key Labor players - the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Workers Union - both favour the project.

 

However, CFMEU Queensland district president Stephen Smyth said the union would not support the mine opening up using a labour hire or contractual workforce in place of "good well-paying secure employment". 

 

"Also they must look locally for employees," he said.

 

 The other aspect is the union does not support the idea of the Adani mine using automation in the place of people. 

 

"This is the same approach applies across all mining companies," Smyth said.

"We have a position that if any mining company wishes to use automation for equipment then they should lose the right to the diesel fuel rebate for starters."

 

That's a lot of conditions to take on board for Shorten. 

 

He must be feeling emboldened after the ALP's good performance in the recent Super Saturday by-elections.

 

However, if he wants to prove his worth as a true leader he should be prepared to ignore the political noise and make a rational judgement on the value of the Adani project to the national interest.