Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to his claim yesterday that large mining companies are using strong-arm tactics to prevent others in the industry from supporting the government’s great big new tax on mining. Is the Treasurer prepared to back up this unsubstantiated claim with evidence in the parliament today? If not, will he apologise to the industry and its leaders for this latest slur?

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

I stand by everything that I said yesterday. I said that consultations were going well with very significant sections of the industry, that we were talking to many companies—both large and small—and that we were doing that in a genuine and productive way, and I said that their behaviour had been honourable. I also said that there were a small number of companies that were not behaving in an honourable way. I went on to say that this is information that has been given to me confidentially. I also went on to say that it is well known to many opposite and to many in the gallery that strong-arm tactics have been used in the industry. I would note that one senior journalist yesterday confirmed this on television.

I stand by everything that I said yesterday. I also said that I had admiration for the mining industry as wealth creators. We should get the record right here. I said that we were having a vigorous debate. We will continue to have a vigorous debate of ideas. We will continue to have a vigorous debate about Australians receiving a fair share of their mineral resources. That is a debate that will go on, as it should. I stand by everything I said yesterday.