MINING SUPER TAX

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): Has the minister received any advice from his department (as he indicated in the last sitting week) particularly in relation to housing affordability, given nearly every component of a modern house comes from the extractive industries?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (14:34): I cannot really add anything further to what I have said. This state is going to put to the commonwealth government its views in relation to that. I have indicated that there are some sectors of the mining industry which have made what I think all people will agree have been genuine windfall profits over recent years.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I said there are some sections of the mining industry which have. Whether a tax should apply to all such industries, whether the uplift rate should be increased, whether there should be a refunding system which might help—all those things are matters which the government has been talking to the commonwealth government about, as indeed has the industry in other states, and I think we should all have a Panadol and relax and wait until the decisions are out there. I have just looked up the website, and I notice that it is on Friday 11 June that the resources super profit tax consultation—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: They had some sort of a shade, I am sure, but they did not play cricket inside it. The important thing, as I said, is that this consultation period take place. The final form of that tax has not yet been finalised and the state government will continue to put its view to the commonwealth as to what design features need to be addressed relating to the commonwealth's proposals.