Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy for his question. I assume it is to me because in the broad it raises matters associated with employment. I think that was the connection that the member for Kennedy was thinking of. I can understand that the member for Kennedy is concerned about a reaction in the community of Malanda relating to local milk supplies no longer being available for sale, with one of the big supermarket chains coming into town and consequently creating a circumstance where local milk will be transported thousands of kilometres and processed and transported back. I can understand his concern about that. I can also understand his concern about the implications of the resources super profits tax for employment.

Whilst I understand the member for Kennedy’s concerns are genuinely and personally deeply felt, and we have had the opportunity to discuss his concerns directly, the modelling for the resources super profits tax, and the modelling particularly of the impact on employment, shows that it will expand the resources sector and its output by 5.5 per cent and expand jobs in mining by seven per cent. So, whilst I do appreciate that the member is representing some concerns about marketing changes in his electorate that could be causing community concern, and I do understand he is raising some matters that are on his mind about the resources super profits tax, the modelling does show a growth in employment.

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