In the grand annals of things being “it, chief” this is absolutely not among it. Federal Senator Matt Canavan, in the middle of relentless campaigning ahead of the Queensland State Election, has posted a photo to social media this afternoon that blatantly co-opts the Black Lives Matter movement for the benefit of coal.
Canavan, who sits with the Nationals in the Federal Senate, made an incredibly half-baked attempt at pulling former Greens icon Bob Brown back into the public conversation by placing a cutout of him in a ute next to a political corflute pushing for the New Acland Mine project.
In doing so, however, Canavan also exposed that the ute was emblazoned with the phrase “Black Coal Matters,” which is as baffling as it is monumentally cooked.
Bob’s back! … And this time he is on a mission to create 500 jobs at the New Acland Mine. Go Bob!!! pic.twitter.com/hPJRVbSB3j
— Anti-Socialist Matt Canavan (@mattjcan) October 5, 2020
The New Acland Mine project is one of the many sources of contention amongst campaigning for the Queensland election. The CFMEU has gone so far as to distribute election material directly attacking the Palaszczuk Labor Government for not approving Stage 3 of the controversial project.
Canavan, for his part, has been at odds with Brown over Acland for quite some time, engaging in a public tit-for-tat with the retired Greens Senator.
Canavan initially drew Brown into proceedings by inviting him to a Bob Brown Tribute Rally, potting Brown for failed efforts to stop the Adani mine project in 2019. Brown subsequently returned serve by inviting Canavan to participate in a debate in Hobart on the effects of climate change on the Murray-Darling Basin and the Great Barrier Reef.
This, however, appears to be Canavan’s latest ham-fisted attempt at keeping this truly piss-boring feud going.
Despite Canavan’s best efforts, the “Black Coal Matters” line has drawn immediate widespread criticism on Twitter, with people haranguing him for the exceptionally tone deaf slogan.
Black lives do matter, this isn’t something to joke about.
Senator Canavan must stop this now, and apologise. The least he can do is show some decency and respect.
If he won’t, this is a test for the Prime Minister. https://t.co/WGxGfy4V4j
— Andrew Giles MP (@andrewjgiles) October 5, 2020
Why stop at destroying the planet when you can do it while being a racist windsock https://t.co/lGNCANFjPT
— Amy Coopes (@coopesdetat) October 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/simonfazio/status/1312997589202079746
Black.coal.matters #AnotherDayInTheColony https://t.co/YZvWj0AL5V
— Chelsea Watego (@drcwatego) October 5, 2020
“Black Coal Matters”: this racist troll is also an Australian Senator #BLM #Straya https://t.co/vWNv5MvZiw
— Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez (@maritorium) October 5, 2020
Black coal matters? You’re a despicable soulless piece of shit https://t.co/TmWzDkvoCR
— Tupac wanna fight you (@BundjalungBud) October 5, 2020
‘Course there’s no confirmation right now that that ute is Canavan’s and the decals are of his doing, but even if they’re not it’s really bloody weird.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the only time Matt Canavan has mystifyingly dragged the Black Lives Matter issue into the world of coal for his own dumb political gain.
In early September, Canavan ran a deeply strange “2020 Coal Plant Championship” bracket on his Facebook page. At the time, he noted – with little prompting – that “unlike the the NBA, these players won’t take a knee.”
https://twitter.com/Rottoturbine/status/1304028082781564928
Another fun day where our elected officials cover themselves in glory.