Greens threat to living standards
Issued 9 August 2010
“The Greens yet again demonstrate how economically illiterate they really are,” said Peter Whelan, LDP spokesman and candidate for the seat of Macquarie.
“While Greens leader Senator Bob Brown says he is pro-small business, he fails to understand that small business prefers a booming mining industry. After all, big business and their employees are the main customers of small-business.”
The Greens Senator has said he planned to ignore the Federal Government’s backdown on a resource super-profits tax (RSPT) and will try to garner higher taxes from Australia’s mining companies. He was quoted saying to reporters “I am going to the election saying we want a better return from the big miners and I expect more than a million people will vote for that, so I’ll have a mandate from where I sit in the Senate.”
“Whilst the MRRT tax might be acceptable to global miners like BHP-Billiton and Rio, it is bad for mid-tier miners like Fortesque Metals Group or Atlas Iron. It is even worse for emerging developers and explorers,” said Mr Whelan.
“Mining companies with solely Australian operations do not have the option to invest overseas like BHP and Rio. In any case, BHP-Billiton is accelerating plans to develop a $6 billion-plus iron ore hub in West Africa, even after doing a deal with the Gillard Labor government on the MRRT.
“The Liberal Democrats call on the major parties to lower taxes on the mining sector to attract and sustain investment. It is obvious that the resources sector is the driver behind our current high living standards. It should be unleashed to grow further, rather than taxed into decline,” Mr Whelan said.
The Liberal Democrats reject the notion of a ‘rent tax’ on any industry. High profits for any industry bring more firms and expand production. Australia should welcome high profits in the resources sector as a sign of greater investment and prosperity to follow. Indeed, it has been shown that almost 100% of the miners’ profits are re-invested in Australia,” Mr Whelan said.
The Greens currently hold 5 seats in the Senate and are aiming to increase this at the Federal election, to gain the balance of power.
“This should send a shiver down the spine of every Australian. Strong property prices, low unemployment and existing government services such as health and education are all funded by resources sector prosperity.
“The best way to protect the economy is to vote for the Liberal Democrats. This will reduce the likelihood that the Greens will hold the balance of power and ruin the economy,” Mr Whelan concluded.
The Liberal Democrats support less government, lower taxes and greater freedom.
“What do we want?”
“Tax cuts!”
“When do we want them?”
“TAX CUTS!”
Who wants to bother with that whole ‘truth’ thing. Just yell some random shit, and hope people forget that a super-profits tax won’t be paid unless a company is making super profits.
And can thus afford to pay tax.
The idea that it’s somehow ‘worst’ for start-ups and explorers is bullshit. If they’re not making any money, they’re not paying the tax. If they’re making very little money, they pay less tax than they would under the previous tax model.