Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein refers to a paper entitled Disparities in average rates of company tax across industries. The authors are as specified earlier. I recall a question yesterday from the member for North Sydney, the shadow Treasurer, asking for the government to bring forward substantiating material concerning the government’s position on current tax arrangements for the mining industry. In response to that request yesterday, the Treasury brought forward a Treasury note. And in response to that the member for Goldstein stands up and objects to its contents because it concludes that the average company tax rate of the mining sector was 17 per cent in the decade to 2004-05. That is precisely what I said before. It compares that to construction, at 19 per cent; transport, at 27 per cent; and finance, at 29 per cent. I suggest that the Leader of the Opposition read the paper from the Treasury, digest its contents and stop simply acting as the mouthpiece of the MCA. I suggest he undertake some independent research, which might be in the national economic interest.

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