Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, there are obviously a great many assertions being made by those opposite about the effect of pricing carbon—which used to be their policy—on industry and on different parts of the economy. I recall, for example, in relation to the mining tax Mr Abbott saying that it would kill the mining boom stone dead. It is interesting to note that, since the government announced the resource tax reforms, we have actually seen an increase in mining employment—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Yes, an increase. On the one hand we have Mr Abbott saying the sky will fall in and mining will stop, but in fact we have seen an increase.