Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

It goes to the question of infrastructure and the pressure the resources sector is putting on local communities in Northern Queensland—the pressure on infrastructure, the pressure on the budget and the pressure on the daily lives of workers in these communities. Perhaps when the opposition leader is on the Mineralogy plane next week he could drop in to the seats of, for example, Leichhardt and Herbert and actually look first-hand at all the investment by the Australian government in key local infrastructure projects and the pressure it is putting on the Australian economy and the pressure it is putting on the budget. He could go, for example, to look at the $255 million being spent on the Bruce Highway from Sarena to Cairns; have a look at the port access road in Townsville, at $95 million; have a look at the Townsville ring road, at $79.5 million; have a look at the Douglas arterial duplication, at $55 million; have a look at the $150 million for the upgrade of the southern approach to Cairns along the Bruce Highway; and a range of other projects in North Queensland.

That is why we are also working with, for example, the member for Kennedy, because we understand the importance of reliability on energy. We are working with him about how we upgrade the grid between Mount Isa and Townsville. We are confident that out of that process we will also get a key commitment to a growth in renewable energy opportunities in that particular area of Australia. This government, unlike the opposition, understands and appreciates the pressures on local Queensland communities because of the resources sector and the expectation of people in those local communities that the mining sector pulls its weight in terms of sharing the huge profit growth they have had out of the opportunities to develop Australia’s national resources, which are 100 per cent owned by the Australian community.

Compare that approach to the view of the opposition leader. Let’s go to what he said yesterday at the Minerals Council lunch: ‘The resources sector is paying a fair amount of tax.’ That is contrary to what a range of resource companies are actually saying. They are actually conceding that there is room to pay more tax. He then spoke in opposition yet again to a profits based tax. I referred yesterday to the clear statements by the CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia that they themselves believe that we should be introducing a profits based system in Australia. I will tell you what all this is about: a desire by the Leader of the Opposition to create a class war in Australia. He spelt that out in his speech to the Minerals Council of Australia at lunchtime yesterday.

The Australian government is going to continue this debate because this is a very important opportunity for us as a nation to put in place a modern tax system, not only of long-term benefit to the resources sector in Australia but, importantly, of long-term benefit to the Australian community. We are committed to getting the balance right between attracting investment in the resources sector and returning a fair benefit to the Australian community. That is why the proceeds of this debate will help the states provide the major infrastructure necessary to continue our economic growth in Australia.

I appreciate why the Leader of the Opposition is standing up for special interests in the Australian community. I refer, for example to the donations of Mineralogy to the Liberal-National Party in 2008-09: $400,000 to the federal Liberal Party; the WA National Party, $110,000; the federal National Party, $50,000; the Liberal-National Party, $20,000. Then we go to the archangel of the coalition: a personal donation by Mr Clive Palmer of $280,000 to the Liberal-National Party. That was last year.

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