Zaneta Mascarenhas: Labor MP took paid trip to Pilbara mine sites then posed with anti-gas activists

A Federal Labor MP who posed with climate activists campaigning to block Woodside’s Burrup Hub previously toured the Pilbara as a paid guest of the resources industry. In a further twist, Swan MP Zaneta Mascarenhas’ register of interests show she has donated to the Australian Conservation Council (ACF) and Climate Council — two of the green groups opposed to the gas giant’s major expansion plans. The former mining engineer defended her links to groups at opposite sides of the gas debate, saying a childhood in the Kalgoorlie mining town of Kambalda had fostered twin loves of the environment and the resources sector. “It is my job to listen to all stakeholders to ensure we navigate the (energy) transition in a smart way,” Ms Mascarenhas told The West Australian. “I will continue to talk to community groups and resource companies to do my job effectively.” Earlier this month The West revealed Ms Mascarenhas was one of at least seven Labor MPs who met and posed for photos with a delegation of climate activists and experts campaigning to block Woodside’s Scarborough and Browse gas projects. The first-term MP was pictured holding a graph — based on Greenpeace research — that described Burrup Hub as Australia’s “biggest fossil fuel threat”. Greenpeace continued their protests last week, with activists scaling a 140m-tall huge crane next to Woodside’s headquarters. The images of Ms Mascarenhas and other Labor MPs posing with the activists, which the green groups shared widely on social media, prompted Resources Minister Madeleine King to remind her colleagues about the critical role of gas in Australia’s transition to net zero. Ms Mascarenhas later fell in line with the Government’s position, acknowledging gas would be “essential” to WA’s future energy security. About 13 months before she stood alongside the anti-fossil fuel campaigners in Parliament House, Ms Mascarenhas was being shown around the Pilbara as a paid guest of the resource sector. The Pilbara “resources sector familiarisation and networking” tour was arranged by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy with support from the Minerals Council of Australia and Australia Petroleum Production and Exploration Association. Woodside is a member of the MCA and APPEA, now called Australian Energy Producers. The three-day tour included stops at Woodside, Chevron, Rio Tinto, Mineral Resources, Fortescue Metals Group and BHP sites. The peak bodies covered the cost of her flights and accommodation, which was estimated at $2372, according to Ms Mascarenhas’ disclosures. She was also gifted a pair of steel-cap boots worth $150. Ms King, Pearce MP Tracey Roberts and Labor colleague Meryl Swanson also took part in the tour along with State MPs and senior public servants. In a statement previewing the Pilbara tour last October, CME chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson said it was “vital” Government MPs had a “solid understanding” of the mining and resources sector given its importance to the nation’s prosperity and energy transition. Ms Mascarenhas posted a selfie with Ms Roberts during one of the mine site visits, along with a post that read: “I am proud of what the resource sector contributes to our State, but also recognise that we need to do better in many areas, including climate change, sexual violence and safety”. The industry bodies who facilitated Ms Mascarenhas’ Pilbara tour all believe gas is a critical part of Australia’s future energy mix. That is in contrast to environmental groups, including Greenpeace, ACF and the Climate Council, who want the Federal Government to block new gas projects — including Woodside’s Burrup Hub. Ms Mascarenhas’ disclosures show she has donated to both ACF and the Climate Council, and is a member of the ACF. The register does not disclose the size or date of the donations and Ms Mascarenhas would not reveal either in response to questions from The West. She did acknowledge her “longstanding and well-known association with both the ACF and the Climate Council”. Asked to explain her decision to accept paid trips from the mining sector after donating to environmental groups opposed to their projects, Ms Mascarenhas pointed to her background, “My love of the environment and the resource sector stems from my childhood in Kambalda,” she said. “As students we helped rehabilitate mines. My dad worked in mining until I was 15 and he was made redundant. “As I said in my first speech (to the Federal Parliament), I’m passionate about action on climate change and I’m passionate about the role resources companies will play. “I started my 15-plus year engineering career in steel cap boots on a mine site. I’m passionate about making sure resource workers are front of mind as we move to a cleaner economy.”