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!’
A quick note for the history buffs among us – in this month of August fifty years ago, the first components of the Berlin Wall were constructed with rings of barbed wire severing Berlin into visually distinct west and east Berlin. Russia’s main challenge at that time was the 10,000 or so East Germans each…
Read More >Let me start by saying that my Masters of Science qualification is NOT held in economics and with that said I’m holding an interested person’s perspective toward wanting to know ‘why’ and ‘how’. I have some questions and thoughts about the theory of Supply and Demand and would be happy to have some feedback from…
Read More >Below you’ll find this afternoon’s discussion with ABC Darwin radio in which host Vicki Kerrigan chats with futurist Marcus Barber about the emerging research into lab grown meat as a potential addition to or replacement of, existing livestock farming methods. The program streamed live on 105.7 ABC Darwin this afternoon, discussing the University of…
Read More >Continuing the futures discussions on ABC Darwin Radio, this time with Paul Dale who is filling in for Vicki Kerrigan whilst Vicki is handling the breakfast time slot, we discuss some of the conference sessions at the World Futures Conference here in Vancouver You can listen to the audio stream here and cue this…
Read More >My slides from today’s presentation on ‘Getting You Future Right’ can be found at the link below To those at the session, my apologies for the technical challenges and hope these slides can provide more context for you – contact me if you have any questions. Access the Slides Here
Read More >Here’s the upload of my conversation with Vicki Kerrigan at ABC Radio Darwin. In it I offer the first three of ten steps designed to help you get your future right. In last week’s session I left Vicki with a question to ponder: Is my life headed where I want it to go, and if…
Read More >Futurist Marcus Barber will be joining ABC’s Vicki Kerrigan in Darwin for the first of an ongoing discussion about the future this Wednesday. Each week on Wednesday afternoon’s, Vicki and Marcus will discuss the future of something, how we prepare for the future, what the future looks like for some industries and other related futures…
Read More >The panel session at the National Manufacturing Week 2011 went well though with four of us on the panel, time was quite compressed. Some really good thoughts from Phillip Chindamo from AIG, Damon Cantwell from Deloitte and Erol Harvey from Minifab, delightfully chaired by Sandra George from SEBN at the City of Greater Dandenong. Rather…
Read More >On Thursday I’ll be part of the panel that wraps up the National Manufacturing Week 2011 in Melbourne at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre under the theme of Meeting the challenges of the next generation of manufacturing with a focus on Innovation and Sustainability. It should be an interesting chat as we consider what…
Read More >There’s lots to like about borrowing ideas from other areas especially where those ideas can lead to a significant positive shift. In the link below, Zaid Ali Alsagoff an educational blogging specialist highlights why the Finnish Education system stands as a potential model to embrace. And whilst there are examples of this type of thinking…
Read More >