Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Eggleston wants the mining tax gone, Western Australian industry wants the mining tax gone, and the people of Western Australia voted at the last election for the mining tax to be gone. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council of Australia and the Minerals Council of Australia pleaded for its removal. What it says is that this sector is already paying about $20 billion a year in company tax to the Commonwealth and royalties to state governments, a total of almost $117 billion since 2006-07.

The fresh Western Australian election provides an opportunity for the people of that great state of Western Australia to send a very clear message that they want this mining tax gone, a very clear message that they want the carbon tax gone. I am confident they will do so in early April when they again have the opportunity. Quite frankly, for this not to be done would be an absolute outrage.