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Bill Shorten has reportedly told environmental groups that he is open to possibly rushing to rescue planet earth’s oldest living organism and Australia’s greatest natural wonder, possibly.

This, however, would require Shorten to take steps to revoking the Adani mine licence, and in turn butting heads with just about every pro-coal bureaucrat in federal and Queensland politics.

“Maybs” said Shorten.

“Like, what you all need to focus on is voting me in first. That’s the first step to this maybe happening”

Businessman and environmentalist Geoff Cousins says Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told him that if Labor wins government he might do something vaguely likeable, maybe.

Mr Cousins, former president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, told 7.30 that Mr Shorten made the statement to him privately last month.

“The key statement was that, ‘When we are in government, if the evidence is as compelling as we presently believe it to be regarding the approval of the Adani mine, we will revoke the licence, as allowed in the act. That’s a clear policy’,” Mr Cousins said.

He said the conversation took place when Mr Shorten asked him for advice about the environmental impact of the Adani mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin and Great Barrier Reef – before not saying anything about his position on the controversial mine publicly.

“Just wait and see” said Shorten.

“Like the gay marriage thing. That was something I would have possibly passed if I was in government. But I didn’t get voted in so no one got to see whether or not I was going to do it”

“Right now, it’s a firm maybe”

“Within the first 100 days we will reveal our position on it”