Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I stand by everything that I said yesterday. I said that consultations were going well with very significant sections of the industry, that we were talking to many companies—both large and small—and that we were doing that in a genuine and productive way, and I said that their behaviour had been honourable. I also said that there were a small number of companies that were not behaving in an honourable way. I went on to say that this is information that has been given to me confidentially. I also went on to say that it is well known to many opposite and to many in the gallery that strong-arm tactics have been used in the industry. I would note that one senior journalist yesterday confirmed this on television.

I stand by everything that I said yesterday. I also said that I had admiration for the mining industry as wealth creators. We should get the record right here. I said that we were having a vigorous debate. We will continue to have a vigorous debate of ideas. We will continue to have a vigorous debate about Australians receiving a fair share of their mineral resources. That is a debate that will go on, as it should. I stand by everything I said yesterday.

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