Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to ask two questions, and I would like to follow on from the member for Batman’s question in relation to flow-through shares. I sat on a committee, along with the opposition spokesman on resources, in the previous parliament where this was the subject of an inquiry. I, like the rest of the committee, supported the move towards the Canadian system of flow-through shares. One of the big issues was that, under the Canadian model, much of the money in flow-through shares had been absorbed into administrative costs. The recommendation from that committee, and what I would like the parliamentary secretary to take on board and address if there is a current view, is that, should Australia consider in future the issue of flow-through shares, we look at the issue not on administration of small and junior mining companies but on the actual exploration component. If we focus on the exploration component of flow-through shares we will continue to have junior mining companies and prospective companies out in the field given tax relief, whereas if the money is allowed to be absorbed in the administrative side of junior mining companies then it is quite often seen as a rort to prop up speculative companies with executives wishing to pay themselves exorbitant salaries. In terms of flow-through shares, I support the member for Batman but I add a note of caution about the way flow-through shares will be administered.

The second point I would like to make is that I had the mayor from the City of Mandurah in this house today meeting with several ministers. One of the ministers we met with was the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. In the electorate of Canning there is a region, largely in the south of the electorate, called the Peel region. The Peel region is an ideal environment and location for tourism. It is well located on the edge of the ocean around Mandurah and the large estuary that is between Harvey and Mandurah. It provides an excellent aquatic and environmental habitat for migratory birds and fish and has tourism attractions. I know there have been many awards to local tourism operators in the area of, for example, ecotourism.

Given the fact that this region has higher than the state average rate of unemployment—currently 7.6 per cent when the Western Australian average is 3.5 per cent—I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary what figures he has on tourism in the Peel region or in my electorate and what opportunities there are for further growth of this very successful sector, which grows employment quickly and quite often faster than any other industry in my region. I would be pleased to take this information back to the delegation that came to Canberra today.

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