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

I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for her question. She asked specifically about the impact of our proposed tax reform on employment and Indigenous Australians. I would say in response to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that the government’s advice is that we will see an overall increase in employment in the mining industry to the tune of some seven per cent. Activity in the mining industry would increase by 4.5 to 5.5 per cent.

Furthermore, I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for this particular question, because it goes to what I would describe as previous campaigns concerning the impact of reforms by previous Labor governments on employment and in this sector in particular. I recall in particular the virulent position of those opposite to the introduction of native title legislation. I recall in particular the position of those opposite, which was that if we were to introduce native title legislation in the 1990s that would be the end of the mining industry, it would be the end of certainty in the mining industry, there would be no growth in the mining industry and there would be no further jobs in the mining industry. That proved to be false, false, false and false.

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