Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

My essay was about how some vested interests have a disproportionate say in our economy and in our society and seek to exercise disproportionate influence. In this case, we have an investor that is going to invest in a project which is going to create Australian jobs. We will work with any investors to create Australian jobs. That is what we have been doing. You would not have an investment pipeline of over half a trillion dollars if we did not work with the business community and the mining community to create opportunities for Australia, and I would never discriminate against any individual who was prepared to put cash on the line to invest in jobs in this country. There is a very important point that needs to be made, and everybody should listen and take this very seriously. We need to take the bounty of this boom and spread it among all Australians; but when vested interests like Gina Rinehart get up and oppose the MRRT, we will bell the cat about what they are really saying. What they are saying, when they are opposing the MRRT, is that all Australians should not get a fair share of the mining boom. We could have a disagreement with her about that and still put in place a set of policies which grow our economy and spread jobs to every corner of our society.

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