Fielding takes on both sides on mining, refugees

Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding is opposed to the Federal Government's mining tax and opposed to the Opposition's recently announced asylum seeker policy.
On the issue of the mining tax, Senator Fielding told the Australian Financial Review he believed the resource super profits tax as proposed would be a disaster for the mining industry and for the wider economy, and he could not support it. legislation for the tax would not be introduced until after the next election so his opposition depends one regaining his Senate seat.

'Yes, it’s always popular to sting the big guy and not the little guy who owns the corner shop down the street. But going after the big guy can be a dangerous policy because the government is essentially taxing an industry which has propped up this country throughout the global financial crisis.'

In response to the Opposition's asylum seeker policy, Senator Fielding said there was better ways to solving the tidal wave of asylum seekers heading to our shores than bringing back the Pacific Solution.


He said the Coalition’s return to Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) will only have the effect of ripping families apart and uprooting their lives again when their time is up in Australia.

“I don’t think the Coalition has fully thought through Version 2 of its Pacific Solution because it only makes things worse for those who are granted TPVs in the long run,” Senator Fielding said.

Senator Fielding wants all 'boat people' to be sent to the back of the 'queue' in overseas refugee camps to stop people smugglers from selling Australia as an attractive destination. Further, he suggests that two refugees be accepted by Australia for every 'boat person' sent back. PH

ACV suggests the following questions for further thought:
1. Is there such a thing as a refugee 'queue'?
2. How much tax is a fair thing when it comes to multi-billion dollar companies?