Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

As I said at the outset, I was aware in broad terms of a range of claims in relation to Olympic Dam. I am aware, for example, that Mr Abbott stated on 21 May that BHP had said that the $22 billion expansion of Olympic Dam could not go ahead. We then saw Mr Kloppers, who I think is known to most people, say on 26 May: ‘At the moment, it is not frozen. We are carrying on.’ So it is quite clear that Mr Abbott was prepared to say something significantly further than what at that time was in the public arena.

We know that the opposition in relation to this tax reform debate stand on the side of those opposed to tax reform. They oppose tax reform, they oppose a reduction in the company tax rate, they oppose tax breaks for small business and they oppose increased superannuation for working Australians. But what we know they stand for is the interests of a few. (Time expired)