The one thing that unites people about the mining tax is that it is not the best designed tax ever proposed. That should hardly be a surprise given that it was bashed out between the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the three biggest mining companies in the first days of her taking office from Kevin Rudd. A well-considered and economically more efficient mining tax proposal was developed by the former secretary of the Treasury, Ken Henry. The biggest problem with Henry’s proposal was its complexity, a problem compounded by Kevin Rudd who rather than release the Henry Tax Review in early 2010, decided to keep it to himself until the middle of the year.
Related documents
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
5 ways and 63 billion reasons to improve Australia’s tax system
With a federal election just around the corner, new analysis from The Australia Institute reveals 63 billion reasons why our next Parliament should improve the nation’s tax system.
Why a fossil fuel-free COP could put Australia’s bid over the edge
When the medical world hosts a conference on quitting smoking, they don’t invite Phillip Morris, or British American Tobacco along to help “be part of the solution”.
Business groups want the government to overhaul the tax system? Excellent – we have some ideas.
The landslide win by the ALP has seen business groups come out demanding the government listen to their demands despite having provided them no support, and plenty of opposition, over the past 3 years.