Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the statement of the former Prime Minister in leaked minutes of the Labor caucus that the mining tax was one of the three great failures of this government. Does the current Prime Minister accept the statement of the former Prime Minister that it was not his failure alone but hers too?

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

I did not realise when I came to the parliament today that the opposition had been replaced by a history club. Some of us are interested in the nation’s future and we will get on with debating that future and designing that future and delivering a vision for Australia whilst the opposition takes itself back in time—back in time to the days of former glory, back in time to the days of Work Choices when they could click their champagne glasses as another worker lost their penalty rates. This is the kind of nostalgia we are seeing from the opposition.

In its current mode of wreck, destroy, worry about the past, pay no regard to the nation’s future, what I can say to the member who asked the question—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat. The member for Mackellar on a point of order.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I refer to the Practice and it is a requirement under the old standing orders before we changed to the new paradigm that ministers could answer in any way they wished. Under the new paradigm, Mr Speaker, we are supposed to get direct answers. The question was about, specifically, a statement made by the foreign minister and the Prime Minister. It was not about Work Choices, history or any other theme. Would you ask her to return to the subject matter and answer directly—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. I remind the member for Mackellar, as I have said earlier in this session, the standing order does not say ‘direct answers’ it says ‘the answer must be directly relevant to the question’. The Prime Minister is responding to the question.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Of course, I am asked by a political party of the past about the history of the minerals resource rent tax. Let me just remind the political party of the past about that history. Of course, that history is that this government was motivated to step up to the plate to manage our current economic circumstances where we are seeing extraordinary growth in the resources sector and, of course, the generation of wealth of assets that can only be exploited once. By definition you can only bring minerals out of the ground and sell them once. In that economic circumstance we determined that it was appropriate for the nation to get a better share of that mineral wealth which we all collectively own.

In pursuit of that the government initially announced the resource super profits tax. Obviously we had some work to do with the mining industry and as Prime Minister I did that work with the mining industry, working with the Treasurer, and we delivered the agreement that is the foundation stone of the minerals resource rent tax. We will pursue in this parliament the legislation of the minerals resource rent tax. It is necessary to help us balance economic growth so that, across the country, we can provide a company tax reduction, most particularly a tax reduction for small businesses to help us balance economic growth across our nation. It will be there to support a growth in the pool of national savings, good for our macro economy, and good for the individuals who will benefit from an increased stream of retirement incomes.

We will use those proceeds to deliver infrastructure projects, particularly to communities that are feeling the pressures of growth arising from the resources sector. For people who are familiar with the pressures that come on cities like Perth, pressures that come on regional areas, they are manifest and more infrastructure is required.

When the legislation comes to this parliament the opposition will have to make a big call—a big call about whether they want businesses in this country to pay more tax, a big call about whether they want workers in this country to have less superannuation and a big call about whether they want communities in this country to have less infrastructure.

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

Mr Hockey interjecting

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

I am told by the shadow Treasurer they have made the call, and I thank him for his confirmation that the Liberal Party in the modern age stands for more tax, less super and less infrastructure. Thank you very much!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Katter has the call but is the Leader of the Nationals—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am sorry. We have got well ahead of ourselves, I know. The member for Kennedy will resume his seat.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the minutes of the special meeting of the Labor Party.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is not granted.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just five months ago today—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals will resume his seat.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, can I just make an observation: Kennedy died with a dozen spears in his back, and I can understand you making that mistake.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whilst the member for Kennedy did not have the call, on this occasion, hopefully, Hansard did pick up that comment although I do not encourage interjections. The member for Kennedy now has his 45 seconds.