Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I think in a former life the senator would be accused of leading the witness with the way he constructed the question, claiming that I said a whole range of things that I did not. In this context, we call it ‘verballing the minister’. I reject the assumptions contained in the question.

This government has set about implementing the mining resource rent tax in a way that ensures that Australians get fair reward for their mineral wealth; that when mining companies are making huge profits from mining nonrenewable resources, the Australian community gets a benefit from that; and that when commodity prices are at record highs, Australian taxpayers are entitled to share in the large profits being made. We remain committed to that principle and working with the industry to achieve it. (Time expired)