Responding to the release of the government’s draft legislation to repeal the MRRT, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says it will bolster billionaire miners and make life harder for ordinary Australians.
“The Greens will not support moves to put big business and mining profits ahead of people and communities,” Senator Milne said.
“Letting the billionaire miners off the hook will hurt small business and some of the most vulnerable in our community like low income earners and
the unemployed.
“Repealing the mining tax to boost the profits of a few will take away revenue to invest in measures that benefit everyone and are vital for our future economic success.
“In the same week they want to increase the debt ceiling by billions, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey are abandoning one of our best opportunities to raise revenue to fund hospitals, schools and vital services.
“Why shouldn’t Australians get a reasonable return from our resources? They are ours after all. Australians deserve the benefits, not billionaire miners.
“Scare mongering about jobs lost from the MRRT is misleading. By getting rid of the instant asset write off for small business, the Coalition is taking away from the small business jobs powerhouse and giving back to Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart.
“The meanness of this government in taking away the miserly $4 a week bonus for the unemployed and superannuation tax concessions for low income earners is breathtaking. Mr Abbott will be driving single mothers further into poverty.
“We should be making the tax more effective by increasing the rate and fixing up the loopholes created when Labor caved in to the big miners.”
Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne
