Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

This is an issue on which Senator Milne knows the government and the Greens party do not agree. We do believe that industries such as mining have a strong future and are important to the Australian economy. We are pleased at the increase in investment in mining which we see planned for 2012-13. It is some 2½ times what was invested in 2010, and this puts paid completely to the scare campaign from those opposite. We do believe that these sectors are important to the Australian economy, just as we also believe that a carbon price is the most effective way that we can give the incentive for greater investment in clean energy processes, clean energy technology and clean energy industries.

The senator put a proposition to me, and the answer to that question is: no, the government does not agree, and the government believes that some of the industries that she has referenced are extremely important to the Australian economy.