Labor’s “politics of envy” slug mining

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27 August 2008

Labor’s "politics of envy" were behind the Bligh government’s $26 million slug on Queensland mining, dressed-up as a safety fee, the State Opposition said today.

LNP mines spokesman Jeff Seeney said the Bligh government was again using the mining industry to prop up its finances - last night using its numbers in Parliament to pass laws imposing a yearly health and safety fee on companies of about $800 a mine worker.

"It’s a greedy revenue grab, pure and simple," Mr Seeney said.

"The Minister has been given the job of dressing it up as a safety levy, but everyone knows Queensland mines are world-leaders in safety and this is a just a $26 million cash grab on top of the $3 billion that mining already delivers to the Treasurer’s budget line."

Mr Seeney said the $800 slug across the State’s 32,500 miners was driven by the "politics of envy" as evidenced by the comments from Labor Members supporting the Bill.

"Member for Southport Peter Lawlor called the $26 million ‘a button off the fly of the mining industry’ and the Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller said (mining companies) ‘would spill more grog on the corporate table’ …

"That’s the attitude of socialist left of the Labor Party … Anna Bligh’s own faction that also includes Mines Minister Geoff Wilson.

"Every Member of Parliament should stand in the House to thank and express appreciation to the mining industry and the men and women who every day go to work in hard hats and orange shirts to build schools, hospitals and roads.

"Instead, we get the politics of envy from Labor Members such as the Member from Bundamba, who thinks it is smart to say that mining companies spill more than that in grog on the corporate table.

"It is an absolute outrage that this is the attitude that dominates the government that makes the legislation within which this industry has to work to provide the $3 billion that the Treasurer needs every year to underwrite his budget."

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