Nick McKim’s recent attack on Labor’s decision to [i]favourably consider[/i] deferring royalty payments to Shree Minerals is indicative of just how tongue tied the Greens were while embedded with Labor.
Not a peep did we hear from Nick McKim last year over Labor’s decision to defer three years of royalty payments for Grange Resources Savage River mine. There were certainly no Greens attacking Labor for[i]corporate welfare[/i] or suggesting that Grange Resources must be allowed to [i]Stand on Own Two Feet[/i] for Grange Resources, the 46% Chinese owned company Shegang.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-05/govt-welcomes-grange-resources-move/4733806
Yet we have certainly heard some bleating from Nick McKim over Labor’s consideration for deferring royalty payments for Shree Minerals Tarkine project.
http://oldtt.pixelkey.biz/index.php?/pr-article/corporate-welfare-for-mendicant-mining-company/
Not a peep did we hear from Nick McKim about the Labor handout to Grange Resources and the claim now that it is [i]only the Greens that support a level playing field for Tasmanian businesses[/i].
Nick McKim had his opportunity to apply the same argument over Labor’s 3 year royalty relief to Grange Resources as they are now banging on about over Labor’s considerations over the same for Shree Minerals Tarkine project – money that could [i] better fund our schools or hospitals.[/i]
Labor pulled this same [i]stunt[/i] last year with the Greens in Cabinet when providing 3 years’ royalty relief for Grange Resources Savage River mine and what did Nick McKim and Greens mining spokesperson Paul O’Halloran do – they put their heads down a wombat hole.
Just how much environmental devastation has been given the [i]green light [/i] to while the Greens looked the other way while shoring up their devotion to power-sharing is yet to be reckoned with.
What really [i]beggars belief[/i] is the hypocrisy of Nick McKim and his cohorts now they have been so predictably dumped by Labor.
What is worse……..the Greens will get into bed again.
Nick McKim MP Greens Leader
25.01.14 2:35 pm
Shree Should Stand on Own Two Feet
The Tasmanian Greens today described Labor’s decision to ‘favourably consider’ deferring royalty payments to Shree Minerals as yet more corporate welfare following on from a decade of wasted taxpayer funds on the Tamar Valley pulp mill.
Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that the Tarkine will create far more jobs and value to Tasmania by making it a National Park and including it in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
“Here we go again. Yet more corporate welfare for a mendicant business that can’t stand on its own two feet,” Mr McKim said.
“It really does seem as if it’s only the Greens that support a level playing field for Tasmanian businesses.”
“This is money that is being denied to every other business in Tasmania, and could be used to support our small local businesses who are the engine room of Tasmanian’s economy, or to better fund our schools or hospitals.”
“There is no way that Labor would have tried a stunt like this with the Greens in Cabinet.”
“Just like the Tamar Valley pulp mill, Shree’s Tarkine project has been fast-tracked by Labor, and now it’s supposedly gone from financially sustainable to having to hold out the begging bowl overnight. It really does beggar belief,” Mr McKim said.
