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

After a night of saying no, no, no, no to a minerals resource rent tax to ensure that all Australians can share in the opportunities that come with this resources boom, we see the Leader of the Opposition come into this place and continue his campaign of relentless negativity. If the Leader of the Opposition had worked his way through this morning, he would have seen the following: I have verified publicly that the government has decided to action a modest savings measure which we had in contemplation in the course of preparing for the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The details of this modest savings measure were released this morning. They were released so that we could go through a proper process of contacting stakeholders.

But the real thing that amazes me about the Leader of the Opposition's question is the suggestion that he would be interested in anything that looked like the facts—as if the facts have ever informed a decision of the Leader of the Opposition. If he cared about the facts then he would recognise that the Australian economy is in a time of transformation when our big miners, particularly, are super-profitable. Our big miners have worked to reach an agreement with the government that they will pay more tax. Those big miners are making their profits from the minerals wealth in our ground that belongs to all Australians. During this time of our nation's development it is the right thing to do and the fair thing to do for Australians around the nation to ask those big miners to pay more tax—miners who are super-profitable—so that can be used to share the opportunities from the resources boom to bring a fair share to working people.

That fair share will come in the form of backing an increase in superannuation, better retirement incomes and a better pool of national savings. It will come with better investments in mining infrastructure. Mining brings benefits to communities, but it also brings strain and consequently we need more investment in infrastructure. It will share the opportunities of the mining boom by giving special tax breaks to small business—to those hardworking Australians who use their spirit of entrepreneurship to make a living for themselves and to employ others. Those Australians will enjoy an instant asset write-off of $6,500 as they invest in their businesses. At the same time, we will cut company tax for businesses that pay company tax to spread the opportunities of the mining boom.

If the Leader of the Opposition cared at all about the facts then he would not have come into this parliament in the early hours of this morning and voted no, no, no to a fair share for working Australians from the benefits of the resources boom.

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