Gladstone's alumina refineries could get exemption: Labor

Australian Labor Party candidate Zac Beers voiced a strong opposition against senator Matt Canavan's comments yesterday that a Labor government would send Gladstone's aluminium industry offshore by saying Labor's policy was about creating and nurturing industries not wrecking them.

Liberal senator Mr Canavan said last night that Labor's renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030 was the biggest risk facing the alumina refineries and aluminium smelters operating in the region.

But Labor's Flynn candidate has said the 100 per cent exemption that Queensland Alumina Limited, Rio Tinto Yarwun and Boyne Smelters Limited currently had was not off the table if Labor won the forthcoming election.

"If the Labor party was elected we would engage in an extensive consultation process with related stakeholders of those industries and design a process that would support them being competitive while working towards those (renewable energy) targets," he said.

Through the "extensive discussions and consultations" with the alumina refinery and smelter operators including other industry stakeholders, they are able to try and secure the 100 per cent exemptions but they won't be able to do that until after the election.