The Queensland Greens say that information presented in the Senate in question time today should disturb every Queenslander who believes in the right to protest.
"Senator Ludwig made it clear that the federal police were undertaking surveillance of coal seam gas protestors," Queensland Greens state spokesperson Libby Connors said today.
"So law abiding citizens from farmers and frustrated landholders to mothers living on the Tara estate who have participated in legitimate protest may now have a federal police file.
"Greens Senator Christine Milne repeatedly asked whether Martin Ferguson the Minister for Mining had approached the Attorney General for police surveillance of protestors but each time Senator Ludwig responded with a comment about the Attorney General's office not the individual ministers.
"So what we do not know is the extent to which Labor administrations, both state and federal, have colluded in the heavy police presence at every peaceful protest organised across the state.
"Labor Governments have shown that they will do whatever the multinational corporations want to fast track this damaging industry.
"We have the CEO of QGC, a wholly owned subsidiary of a British company, given a seat on the Reserve Bank Australia board and access to the highest levels of economic decision-making in this country.
"Queenslanders with legitimate concerns and who have always committed publicly to non-violent protest have been met with heavy policing, onerous bail conditions which magistrates have overruled as unreasonable and the heavy penalties of Queensland's Gas and Petroleum Act.
"Mining and gas are not only environmentally damaging industries, they are now undermining our democracy.
"Labor administrations are selling out the people of Queensland."
Contact: Libby Connors 0429 487 110