The Minerals Council of Australia featured in 1,594 Australian news stories in the last year mentioning coal. This was three times more than iron ore, far more than any other mineral.

Yet only 16 of the MCA’s 45 members mine coal at all. Just 3 are entirely focused on thermal coal. The biggest members, BHP and Rio Tinto, derive less than 10% of Australian revenue from thermal coal.

The mismatch between coal’s importance to its members and MCA lobbying effort is causing tension in Australia’s most powerful lobby group.