Another side to the Super tax on Mining
The ‘Supertax’ debate is an interesting one and as expected, both parties are heavily invested in their own outcomes. One thing the Mining Companies understand is that the tax will lower the size of their profits in boom times for the resources sector – they’ll still be raking in billions, its just that some of the cream will be removed. And one thing most mining companies anticipate for the near term future, is a return back to the really big BOOM times. That’s why they are fighting this idea so hard because if they thought things were going to turn poorly, they’d be urging the Government to act because they’d want the benefits of paying less tax in the not so good times (which they’re saying little about at the minute). The Government also seems to be fighting this idea with limited perspective –
threats of job losses by the Mining Industry is NOT the doom for the Australian economy they’d like us to believe – in fact it could well be the opposite. As we’ve already seen when the mining industry quickly shed its part time workforce in the thousands at the first hint of a possible global recession, what other industry sectors gained was raft of workers suddenly available to pick up the delays in projects. When the Mining sector dumped its part time workforce all of those construction workers, bricklayers, plumbers, truckdrivers and a whole heap of ‘real’ workforce labour became available elsewhere. People who’d been waiting for months to get a new pergola or garage built, new factory completed or repairs to the manufacturing machinery finally had the workers available to do so, as those skilled labour personnel were forced by the Mining sector workforce shedding, to return to their previous areas of skill.
And this is where the Government seems to be missing the point. Delaying Mining projects will turn out to be a very good thing elsewhere in the Australian economy. The influx of available carpenters and bricklayers will see a more competitive environment for construction and renovations. More truck drivers will speed the delivery of goods and services and so on lowering the pressure on wages in those sectors as more skilled personnel return. Quite simply, any delay by the Mining sector in starting projects will be welcomed by other industries who really could do with a boost in the number of skilled workers. Rather than worry or buy into the Miners Mythology, other industry sectors should be shouting loudly: ‘bring it on!’
The Trucking Industry, as a key part of the wider Supply Chain and Logistics Industry is coming to the end of an era, right at the time when it should be being refreshed. Put simply, there just aren’t enough drivers for trucks, and to date, attempts to recruit more drivers have been less that what…
Read More >In case you haven’t had time to keep up with these events, here’s a quick overview of the Everyday Sexism project’s attempts to hold FaceBook to account for its explicit support of sexual violence against women as portrayed in the many permitted Facebook pages that promote rape, rape culture, and violence against women. Facebook appears…
Read More >Today I have a bee in my bonnet, so please look away if my frankness might bother you. In the last couple of days I’ve had yet another conversation with a Local Council planning team manager about Strategic Planning for their Council that bothered me a great deal. What really has me bothered is that…
Read More >Whilst many people have heard about Drones in terms of their military applications, the concept of micro drones and their use in civilian settings is not quite so well known. It appears that the surveillance capability that technologies like Drones provide, are edging their way into more social environments. That may or may not be…
Read More >The link below will take you to the audio of the discussion I had with Annie Gaffney on ABC Radio Sunshine Coast the day after the Opposition released its Broadband policy. There’s been much discussion about the perceived value or otherwise, and I flag my bias here upfront: As a small business owner likely to…
Read More >In the article I link to below, Diana G Oblinger, the President of EDUCAUSE offers the Higher Ed community some insights such as this one: we’ve moved on from the Information Age and are now in the Connected Age. Such a statement will come as quite a shock for many Higher Education Institutions and policy…
Read More >In case you haven’t heard, technology is making so many jobs redundant, that only the adaptable will survive. And when I say ‘jobs redundant’ I mean across EVERY conceivable industry and level of specialisation. Robotic surgery is now so good that not only can it be done remotely, it can be done without human intervention.…
Read More >Coca Cola, Lion Nathan and Schweppes have successfully challenged the Northern territory’s compulsory container deposit recycling scheme in the Federal Court. The scheme had seen recycling rates jump by 30% in just a few months and was widely applauded by the public as the right thing to do. Despite the overwhelming public support, Coca Cola…
Read More >If you’re looking for an accelerated course in Strategic Planning and Advanced Management techniques in the Philippines in July, then TruEventUs has a two day session coming up on the 4th and 5th of June. Marcus Barber, founder of The Australian Strategic Planning Institute will facilitate this intensive program. For full details You can…
Read More >Without putting too fine a point on it, most of us pay little attention to what we ‘deposit’ in our toilets each time the body needs to exit our bodily waste. And yet with a looming phosphate shortage around the world (along with other useful components) our personal waste streams are worth billions of dollars…
Read More >