Labor has rejected claims it is destabilising Australia's investment attractiveness through its scepticism of the controversial Adani Queensland coal mine.
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Adani Australia chief executive Jayakumar Janakaraj told The Weekend Australian Labor's attacks on the project had cast doubt on Australia's ability to remain an attractive destination for capital.
Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek says none of Labor's criticism should harm Australia as an investment destination.
"It is a bit rich for a company who originally said that they didn't need taxpayer support for this project to go ahead and then five minutes later stuck their hand out for a $1 billion loan to be talking about whether we're an attractive investment destination," she told ABC TV on Sunday.
"We have every right as a nation to say we'll make decisions in our own best interests, in the best interests of our economy and our environment."
The $1 billion loan Adani had hoped to get to build a railway from the mine to its Abbott Point port won't be forthcoming after the Queensland government vowed to veto it.
And the project was dealt another blow on Friday when rail operator Aurizon withdrew its plans to build a freight line.
Ms Plibersek backed leader Bill Shorten's strident questioning of whether the jobs promised by Adani would eventuate, saying the company had "overinflated" their numbers.
'We do need to answer questions about jobs in central and northern Queensland but we also need to make sensible decisions about this project and really answer whether it stacks up environmentally and economically."
She denied Labor's increased vocalness about the massive mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin was prompted by its battle against the Greens in the by-election in inner-Melbourne seat of Batman.
Australian Associated Press
