Mining Tax will not return wealth to the regions: Coulton
23-November-2011
The Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has spoken out against the “backroom deals” that took place to aid the passing of the Government’s Mining Tax legislation.
Mr Coulton spoke in Parliament against the Minerals Resource Rent Tax and the related bills last night, and criticised the Government for the deals made with the Greens and Independents.
“Unfortunately, this great House is no longer a place of debate where ideas are exchanged and where legislation is formulated. This place has become a rubber stamp for grubby backroom deals.”
“It is with great frustration that the Member for New England Tony Windsor would support and pass a tax that is as poorly constituted as the Mining Tax to get a local outcome. While I have sympathy with the intentions of the Member for New England, I believe that he has been dudded. I believe he has been sold short.”
Mr Coulton explained his concerns that the Mining Tax is more about reducing the Government’s debt after years of wasteful spending, rather then investing in regional areas.
“This is an ill-conceived and poorly constituted tax. This is a tax that has been put together in conjunction with the three large mining companies behind closed doors,” Mr Coulton said.
“It is divisive, complex, unfair, fiscally irresponsible, distorting and a lost opportunity. This is once again another grab of the resources from regional Australia to be taken and placed elsewhere.”
“The missed opportunity is the need to see real infrastructure and real spending in regional Australia. We need to see real growth that will set regional Australia up beyond the mining boom, that will bring value adding to agricultural produce and that will use some of the energy sources being mined in regional Australia closer to home rather than placing them on ships and sending them overseas. This tax will not do that.”
“This tax will take once again from regional Australia where the wealth is produced and distribute it elsewhere. As with the carbon tax, this government is about wealth redistribution: taking it from those that are productive and placing it elsewhere. Regional Australia will not wear this.”
“This government is bringing in this Mining Tax to fill in its bottom line. It is paying for the wastefulness and the squandering of money that we have seen over the last four years of this Labor Government.”