The Hon Ian MacFarlane talks Energy, Coal, Agriculture and Politics

It was a pleasure to interview Hon Ian MacFarlane on Tough Talk with Jody Rowe. Whilst the podcast is centered around Energy transition it was also an opportunity to talk frankly about politics, board roles and many other subjects. The experience Ian has is enormous and he is passionate about successes such as the Toowoomba Second range crossing and the development of the Coal, Gas and Agriculture industry in SE Queensland. Ian has held the position of Chief Executive of the Queensland Resources Council since October 2016. He is also a non-executive director of Woodside Petroleum, a board member of CSIRO, Sovereign Manufacturing Automation for Composites Cooperative Research Centre (SoMAC CRC) and of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE). Ian is also a member of the UQ Rural Clinical School Toowoomba Community Advisory Committee, an Honorary Fellow of Aus IMM Minerals Institute, and a Fellow of the AICD.

Ian’s past board positions include Chair Innovative Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre (IMCRC) and Director of MET’s Ignited. He was also a member of the Advisory Group on Northern Australia.

Ian was elected to Federal Parliament in 1998 and retired in 2016. He is Australia’s longest serving Federal Resources and Energy Minister and the Coalition’s longest serving Federal Industry and Innovation Minister in both Cabinet and Shadow Ministerial positions. Ian has extensive experience across the resources and energy, agribusiness, science and innovation, skills and training and manufacturing and industry sectors.

Before entering politics, Ian was one of the country’s most active Agri politicians. He previously farmed peanuts, sorghum and wheat, and ran cattle in Queensland's Burnett region. Ian was President of the Queensland Grain growers Association, President of the Grains Council of Australia and simultaneously held executive positions on the Queensland and National Farmers' Federations.

What an exceptional resume of experience well qualified to talk Energy transition and quite frankly a reality check of politics.

Thank you, Ian, it was a pleasure.