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

Mr President, I do not know why the Liberal Party are not interested in spreading the benefits of the resources boom to all Australians, but the Gillard government is. We are very focused on making sure this record investment in the mining industry results in benefits to all Australians—not just benefits to the companies, not just benefits to those who work for the companies, not just benefits to those who supply the companies, but benefits to all Australians—because we are talking about resources that belong to all Australians. A lot of people in my home state of Western Australia, and people elsewhere, believe that they failed to get a really tangible legacy from the last mining boom. They believe that many of them saw only increased cost-of-living pressures.

This government is absolutely committed to making sure that we share the benefits of the boom and that the benefits that flow flow to all Australians. That is why this government, in implementing the minerals resource rent tax, is making sure those proceeds flow to ordinary people in the community, making sure that the superannuation guarantee goes up from nine per cent to 12 per cent for working Australians, making sure that 8.4 million workers increase their retirement savings by about $500 billion by 2035. The proceeds of the minerals resource rent tax will be used to cut company tax, build infrastructure and deliver tax cuts for 2.7 million small businesses. This Labor government is going to use the benefits of the resources boom to benefit all Australians, to make sure everyone shares in the benefits of the use of their resources.