Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Two and a half cents to help families! It went on:

The Minerals Resource Rent Tax … is a historic economic reform which means the benefits of the boom can be invested in Australia's future.

All 2½c! I cannot even hold up 2½c. We do not strike the copper coins anymore. I would have to go to a halfpenny and strike a few of those. They used to be called half-monkeys, but I would need to call them half-Swannies. They would need to be half-Swannies because that is the only way I could distribute 2½c to every Australian.

Yet the Labor Party still believes it is a terrific tax. It raised one per cent—one per cent—of what was expected. Not even the Greeks could do that—come up with a tax that raises one per cent of expectations! The problem was that the worst Treasurer Australia has ever seen committed $17 billion in expenditure against a tax that raised no money. 'Spreading the benefits of the boom'? You give us your 2½c worth. (Time expired)

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