“The Rudd ALP wants to change the rules to punish thrift and enterprise.” – DLP Senate team leader in Queensland, Tony Zegenhagen
Many family owned businesses around Queensland are in fear that Canberra has targeted them in the nation’s biggest ever tax grab, according to Tony Zegenhagen, Queensland’s leader of the Democratic Labor Party Senate Team.
“The resource rent tax, sneakily described by the ALP as a Mining Super Profits Tax, is intended to hammer a wide range of family businesses,” said Tony Zegenhagen.
“Direct victims include family owned quarries, modest operations mining gemstones and even family owned small copper mines. Many of these families have invested decades of effort in harsh environments with minimal returns. At a time when their efforts deserve big rewards, the Rudd ALP wants to change the rules to punish thrift and enterprise.”
“The indirect victims include countless family businesses which supply services to the mining industry, from truckers and tool repairers to clothing suppliers and caterers. All the direct and indirect victims of the ALP anti-mining tax will find loan capital more expensive and harder to come by, and may expect their purchasing power to be severely reduced.”
“Throughout Queensland there is a real concern that job opportunities are evaporating. Instead of optimism about negotiating significant improvements in wages and conditions, unions are now facing the prospect of battling to defend existing arrangements.”
“The ALP intends to plunder hard working small and medium family businesses while presenting its anti-mining tax as something to be paid by massive foreign owned companies,” Mr Zegenhagen said. “The Democratic Labor Party calls on the Rudd ALP to come clean and disclose how many working families will be attacked by the ALP’s unwelcome tax."
The Democratic Labor Party was the first party to commit publicly to opposing the so-called Mining Super Profits Tax.
“The Mining Super Profits Tax is yet another method for this high taxing ALP Government to undermine family life through a combination of excessive governmental burdens and a flawed PPL scheme, which together will force all members of families into the workforce whether they like it or not."
Tony Zegenhagen called on the Senate to stand up to the failed ALP government by rejecting the Budget.
Interviews: Tony Zegenhagen 0415 459 322 Federal Secretary, Democratic Labor Party (DLP)
