Mr Cook came under fire last week when comments he had made in 2024 came to light.
Mr Cook, a geologist, was appointed as the company’s non-executive chairman in October 2023.
The comments in question were posted to professional networking platform LinkedIn.
Regarding debate about whether or not to keep Australia Day, Mr Cook instead referred to it as ‘‘Rescue Day’’.
‘‘Rescued from poverty, poor health, brutal tribal law, propelled into modernity, etc.
‘‘Time for some real truth telling!!’’.
Underneath a post about the government of Western Australia’s 2023 refusal to confirm the abolition of cultural heritage laws, Mr Cook said the issue was not ‘‘physical heritage — everyone can see and deal with that’’.
‘‘It’s the mythological and spiritual part,’’ he said.
‘‘How can you define property rights over them? They are religious-type beliefs!’’
Mr Abel commented on a story about the comments from Mr Cook on social media.
‘‘Racist planet-wrecking Aussie dirtbag. Fitting frontman for a toxic goldmine,’’ Mr Abel said when describing Mr Cook.
Mr Abel, who has stood unsuccessfully for the Green Party in electorate seats, led the charge to ban native logging on the West Coast.
He was listed at No 9 on the Green Party list in 2023 and is now No 12 for this year’s election.
Santana Mine Supporters Club spokesman Bill Sanders said the only comment he would make was the Green Party should be careful with the aspersions it cast at people.
Santana Minerals did not reply to a request to comment.
Resources Minister Shane Jones declined to comment.
Green co-leader Marama Davidson backed the MP's comments.
"Cook's reported views that white Australians are marginalised, and that First Nation peoples have been ‘rescued from poverty’ comfortably meets the threshold for 'racist scumbag'.
"Cook, a man who wants to build a permanent, toxic lake in the hills of Otago, could hardly be clearer that he holds humanity in as little regard as he holds the environment."
