Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

It does, Mr Speaker. I'm speaking to the second reading amendments, but I'll confine my remarks to the taxation implications. The distinction that I'm firmly drawing here is that this bill has been characterised by the government as an attempt to provide for Western Australia. And yet, this bill provides remarkably little for Western Australia, in contrast to the government's failure to address directly the matter of GST distributions.

Labor will support this bill, but we do so with a firm eye to its impact on mining exploration. Our intent on this side of the House is to ensure that taxpayers get good value for money and that expenditure, which is made on encouraging exploration, encourages greater exploration. We want to see Western Australia get its fair share and we do not believe that the government can simply use this junior minerals exploration measure as a fig leaf to address the broader challenge of Western Australian GST distribution.

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