The ABC's Chris Uhlmann asked Brown about his statement calling for the shutting down of the coal industry, which he denied saying.
Uhlmann: "Didn't you say in 2007 that we had to kick the coal habit?
Brown: "No, I did not, you're looking at the Murdoch press. What I said back in 2007 was that we should look at coal exports with a view to phasing them out down the line."
Uhlmann: "It wasn't the Murdoch press. It was a comment piece that you wrote."
On February 12, 2007, in The Australian, Brown wrote an article that said: "The Greens believe that we need to move beyond Australia's reliance on coal. Last week, I called on whoever wins office at this year's election to commit to a plan to phase out coal exports. That plan must be in place by the end of the next term of government so that we can move beyond coal as a matter of urgency.
"It might take decades for the task to be completed, but the scientists are telling us that we must start immediately. The coal industry plays an important role in the Australian economy, but it is also a major threat to our economic future."
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