There is this story on the front page of the Australian this morning whose headline reads: End green sabotage of coal, says Tony Abbott. Here is the key para about the decision in the Federal Court:

It is understood the refusal to allow the mine relates to Mr Hunt’s failure to take into account departmental advice given about the Queensland species of the yakka skink and ornamental snake.

On the other hand, balanced against the rights of the snake and the skink was this:

“This is a vitally important project for the economic development of Queensland and it’s absolutely critical for the human welfare literally of tens of millions of people in India.”

An exasperated Mr Abbott said the federal government ­approval for Indian company Adani to develop the $16 billion coalmine in central Queensland, which was overturned by the Federal Court on Wednesday, was a vital project.

He said if Australia did not allow such developments, “we have a problem as a nation”.

“Lets face it: this is a $21bn ­investment of which some billion dollars has already been spent,” Mr Abbott said.

“It will create about 10,000 well-paid jobs in Australia. And if it goes ahead, it will provide for decades to come for 100 million people in India who currently have no power.”

Letmesee. The rights of the skink versus the welfare of 100 million people in India. That’s a toughie, I guess. Thank goodness for the Federal Court.