Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

It is quite clear that the opposition are not prepared to actually engage in this matter. The modelling that we have undertaken as a government highlights that under these new arrangements we will see mining investment actually rise. It will go up. What we will see is an increase in the number of jobs. There will be an increase in mining production. I am sure if the opposition were prepared to read the KPMG reports on these matters that they would notice that there will be an expansion of GDP as a result of these changes.

What we have here is a highly responsible measure aimed at ensuring that Australians and the community as a whole enjoy the benefit of increased economic activity and we do so by supporting a change in the fundamental tax rate across all companies. We provide additional resources for infrastructure to facilitate increased export. We also provide for a social justice measure in terms of funding superannuation benefits for Australian workers. These are measures that the opposition clearly cannot come to terms with.

What we have is an opposition that are led by a group of economic knuckle draggers. We have an opposition that are not interested in economic management. We have an opposition that find economics boring. It is no wonder that the opposition rely on newspaper headlines rather than doing the proper research that is required to ensure that they have a better grasp of what actually is going on as distinct from their blind prejudices. (Time expired)