This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The Liberal National party MP George Christensen has defended sharing pro-coal material from a supposedly grassroots group linked to Project Caesar, Glencore’s covert communications campaign.

Glencore has attracted significant criticism for operating a multimillion-dollar shadow campaign to bolster demand for coal, run by political operatives at the C|T Group.

Project Caesar spread sophisticated pro-coal messaging on social media using “grassroots” online Facebook groups and associated websites. The aim was to shift public sentiment toward coal using arguments personally relevant to its audience. No disclosure of the links between the content and Glencore was made.

One source with knowledge of Project Caesar said a site linked to Project Caesar was “Energy in Australia”, a Facebook group and associated website which pushed pro-coal, anti-renewable messaging to an audience of more than 20,000 people.

Energy in Australia was also aided by politicians such as Christensen, who shared its material on his own Facebook page. In 2017, Christensen shared an Energy in Australia graphic suggesting a new high-efficiency, low-emissions (Hele) coal plant in north Queensland would bring “9,000 NEW JOBS”.

“It was confirmed recently that the construction of a new HELE power station will create 9,000 new jobs for North Queensland,” Christensen claimed, using Energy in Australia as his source.

Christensen said a new coal plant would bring more jobs than the entire Queensland renewables industry, again citing Energy in Australia.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest George Christensen used this Energy in Australia graphic to argue for a new coal plant in north Queensland. Photograph: FACEBOOK

Guardian Australia asked Christensen whether he had known Energy in Australia was linked to Glencore and the C|T Group, and whether that would have prompted any concerns.

A spokeswoman said Christensen was pro-coal, and welcomed the fact that coal companies were sharing pro-coal material online. About one-third of his electorate was employed directly or indirectly in the resources sector, the spokeswoman said.

“So yes, George will regularly share information, Facebook posts etc that are pro-coal,” she said. “And if a coal company is sharing information that is pro-coal – great.”

The Facebook group and website of Energy in Australia were taken offline this week, following questions posed to Glencore and the C|T Group about Project Caesar.

Energy in Australia posted content frequently, using high-quality video, graphics, and memes to champion coal and rail against renewables. It linked blackouts in South Australia and Victoria to renewables, warned of power rationing, blamed solar and wind for rising power bills, claimed that subsidies were going to “Saudi billionaires”, and celebrated the formation of the Monash Forum, a pro-coal group of federal parliamentarians.

Glencore ended Project Caesar last month to coincide with its announcement that it was capping global coal output. It said the campaign complied with all relevant laws and regulations. The C|T Group has previously declined to comment, citing client privacy.