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With around 60 per cent of the state’s mining operations occurring on indigenous land, remote Aboriginal communities are set to suffer following the Rudd Government’s announcement of a 40 per cent tax on mining profits.
After declaring in 2008 that more had to be done for Aboriginal communities to benefit from the state’s mining industry, Mike Rann must now tell Aboriginal communities how he will protect them from the loss of jobs and income as a result of his mate Kevin Rudd’s super tax on mining profits.
Shadow Aboriginal Affairs Minister Terry Stephens said indigenous communities relied heavily on existing agreements with resource companies but Kevin Rudd’s great big new tax could force mining companies to scale back or even shelve projects.
“Mike Rann declared in 2008 that what he was,
‘… asking Monsignor David Cappo and his team to do is work on making sure that people who are the most marginalised, … Aborigines, … and people in regional and remote communities get a slice of the action from the economic boom on the horizon’*.
“Considering 60 per cent of mining activity takes place on indigenous land, any downturn in mining activity as a result of Kevin Rudd’s super tax would severely affect the economic benefits delivered to Aboriginal communities.
“It’s the responsibility of government to ensure remote Aboriginal communities are looked after, but a decline in mining activity is likely to result in a loss of vital job opportunities for these communities.
“Mike Rann has supposedly done a lot of negotiating in recent times with his mate Kevin Rudd so he must now stand up for South Australia’s regional Aboriginal communities.
“Mike Rann must ensure Kevin Rudd’s super tax doesn’t impact on Aboriginal communities improving job opportunities and attaining real economic independence.
“In 2008 Mr Rann promised to deliver indigenous communities a dividend from mining.
“He must now explain publicly how these communities will be protected from Labor’s great big new tax.”
* DELIVERING A SOCIAL DIVIDEND FROM OUR BOOMING ECONOMY (Media Release) 3/1/08
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