A hint of a future Labor policy shift on the mining tax is likely to be seized on by Australia’s conservative Liberal-National government as legislation to scrap the tariff again comes up for debate in the upper house Senate.
The Liberal-National coalition’s plan to abolish the Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) has not got the numbers to pass the upper house with Labor and the Australian Greens Party both opposing the move.
AAP Newsagency reports however that while campaigning ahead of the Senate election re-run in Western Australia, where there is widespread disapproval for the MRRT, Labor Opposition Leader Bill Shorten suggested his party may be prepared to adopt a different approach down the track.
“In terms of what we do in our policies affecting the resources sector for the next election, we will engage in a dialogue with the resources sector,” Mr Shorten said.
AAP reports that with the next federal election not due until 2016, Mr Shorten said he remained committed to the principle of the tax and would block moves to have it scrapped.
The repeal legislation has already passed the lower House of Representatives.
Also on the Senate agenda today are bills to scrap Australia’s carbon price laws.
On March 3 the first of the bills, to dismantle the independent Climate Change Authority, was rejected by the upper house and with one down, 10 bills remain up for consideration.
AAP reports Environment Minister Greg Hunt has called on the Senate to pass “as a matter of priority” the remaining legislation.
He has told the lower house the carbon price is inflicting massive damage on the Australian economy, citing a $7.6 billion impost across the country in its first year.
Also today Queensland MP and mining magnate Clive Palmer is scheduled to introduce to parliament a private member’s bill to investigate the establishment of a national emergency fund that can provide speedy assistance in the event of natural disaster or industry collapse.
Mr Palmer said he had the support of other independents for the “Australian Fund”, and a parliamentary committee should further investigate its viability and report back to parliament.
