This is largely because our politicians have been corrupted through generous donations, aka, bribes.
The greens are looking to reform the legalities of those donations for this very reason.
I agree that the coal industry does have a big influence over both parties. I'm sure donations do have a big influence but I think there is also the fact that coal mining does contribute a significant amount to the economy as outlined in the article. Also labour is influenced by the fact that its member unions represent members that are employed in coal mining. I agree with the greens to some extent. Coal mining is definitely bad for the environment, puts the barrier Reef at risk and contributes to global warming. It's easy to say just ban the Adani mine but you need to have a real plan to replace the economic loss and the loss of jobs. Tourism and technology and green industries are the obvious areas to target but there needs to be a real plan as opposed to hand waving and broad statements.