Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition always interjects in this place, with enormous credibility! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, each time she opens her mouth, is in fact greeted with the shaking of heads on the part of all those behind her—and we know the reasons why. This set of taxation arrangements replaces a royalties regime which is a crude instrument applied only to, firstly, volume and, secondly, revenue.

In response also to the question of the Leader of the Opposition, he should also pay attention to the fact that it is our understanding that there are a number of other existing issues impacting on this particular development, concerning the feasibility of rail access, port infrastructure and power supply. My understanding is that these issues have not been fully resolved.

I conclude my answer to the Leader of the Opposition by saying this: we on this side of the House stand for the national interest; we do not stand here as the instruments of Clive Palmer or anybody else. I would say also to the Leader of the Opposition that Clive Palmer’s intervention in this debate yesterday was to make the remarkable statement that the minerals in the ground do not belong to the Australian taxpayers. This is the individual, Clive Palmer, who is the major contributor to the Liberal National Party in Queensland; he is the major contributor to the conservative parties in Queensland. He seems to also dictate the policy position of those opposite—and he stands in this capital and says that these resources are not owned by the Australian people. That is wrong. Those opposite obviously believe that this Mr Palmer’s position on this is right; we will stand for the national interest, not for the sectional interests of an individual mining company, foreign or domestic.

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