Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

They never fail to surprise. They have been around Australia saying that mining companies pay too much tax and that the federal government should not put in place a resource rent tax. They said that, because of our resource rent tax, mining would stop, investment would stop and jobs would be lost. That was the story they were telling the whole time until, suddenly, out of the blue, the Western Australian government increased mining royalties. Did they oppose that? No. They thought: 'That's a good idea. It's not going to stop investment. It's not going to stop jobs.' And of course they continued, after the Western Australian government did that, to go around the country—

Mr Hockey interjecting—

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