MINING INDUSTRY

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy. Has the state government sought or received any assurances from their federal counterparts that copper, gold and uranium will remain excluded from the mineral resource rent tax beyond the next election?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (15:10): This is one of the sillier questions and actually just confirms precisely what I have just said.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: They are joined at the hip with Tony Abbott. Any stupid idea—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Any stupid idea that he floats around, they are prepared to join in.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Stuart.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order. The Premier is debating the question. It was very clear: have they sought or received assurances?

The SPEAKER: Order! The question was related to our federal colleagues and the Premier is answering accordingly. No point of order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: There is only one person suggesting that the mineral resource rent tax could apply to Olympic Dam and that is Tony Abbott. It has not even been suggested by any other commentator.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: More importantly, Madam Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —we are in regular contact with BHP. They have never once raised this as a concern that we should make representations on their behalf—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —in respect of the federal government. What they have asked us to approach the federal government about—

Mr Marshall: Carbon tax.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —is not carbon tax. It is not carbon tax at all. It is two particular taxes they thought were on the federal government's agenda—that was the overburden removal tax, or the tax concession for overburden removal, and, of course, the diesel fuel rebate tax. They asked us to make representation of those two matters. We made those representations, and they did not find their expression in the federal budget.

They are just going to have to get some ideas of their own. They have seen Tony Abbott in the polls, they have looked at his numbers—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —and they have decided to adopt his pathetic negative tactics. That is the only approach that they understand. That is what they are bringing into this chamber. You can attach yourself to this man, and we will make you pay for it.

Mrs REDMOND: Can I make an apology to the house for asking such a silly question, because I now realise that any assurance from Julia Gillard would not be worth anything in any event.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Davenport.