Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question and the opportunity to speak about the importance of the Minerals Resource Rent Tax, a policy which is all about ensuring all Australians share in the benefits of the mining boom, a policy to fund a reduction in tax for small business and a boost to superannuation for working Australians and investment in infrastructure. This, as I have previously said, demonstrates the difference between this side of the chamber and those opposite. We want less tax on small business and more superannuation for workers; they want less tax for mining companies and higher profits for the big mining companies. And what is really interesting is that as each day goes on, as each day passes, more and more opposition members are starting to understand the ridiculous position that Mr Abbott has put the opposition in. In fact, one MP has told the West Australian it was 'insane' to hand back free money that was willingly being paid by the biggest miners. So there is a growing number of opposition members who understand that it is insane for the opposition to be seriously suggesting that they want to go to the next election telling small business, 'We are the coalition and we stand for higher taxes. We are the coalition and we stand for lower superannuation. We are the coalition and we stand for less tax on miners.' That is the ludicrous position that the opposition have got themselves into. And now what we are seeing day by day are backgroundings for the papers—