Minerals Council’s tax report belongs in fiction section of Australian libraries but let’s use it to have a genuine debate about the costs of mining
Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says that the Minerals Council report into the taxation paid by mining companies in Australia shows that the lobby group cannot be trusted to enter into public debate in good faith and only serves to cement the reputation of corporate Australia as self-serving charlatans.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Claiming royalties as tax is like a café owner claiming every kilo of coffee beans they buy is a tax. A royalty is the price a company pays to access a public owned resource to on-sell for private profit.