WA mines minister urges mining firms to press fight against MRRT
Western Australia's mining minister has enjoined the state's resource industry to sustain its campaign against the proposed minerals resource rent tax proposed by the federal government.
Mines Minister Norman Moore said on Thursday that in light of the Labor Party's win in the national election, major players of the industry should move forward on its spirited fight against the controversial tax measures.
With a minority government headed by Labor, analysts said that it is expected that the fresh mandate won by Prime Minister Julia Gillard should prompt her to finally implement the 30 percent tax on mining profits.
Mr Moore said that the eventual imposition of MRRT could leave a deep impact on the economy of Western Australia as he pointed to the grim effects of the proposal's previous version, which hurt the country's stock market and pulled down Australia's international ratings.
The mines minister stressed that mining companies must convince the federal government that the mining tax would only deliver negative effects on the industry and to the economy as a whole.
Mr Moore reiterated his call on giant resource firms to press on the battle that "they fought so well prior to the election and we hope that they will be with us and we will be there with them to put so much pressure on the Government that they will back off on the tax."