The mining boom bonanza barely spread beyond the mining industry itself but the negative implications of the mining boom were felt very widely. This is important in view of the current suggestions that the end of the mining boom implies that Australians will have to tighten their belts. Symmetry should apply in the event of a slump in commodity prices. Just as the benefits of the boom were largely confined to the mining industry, the adverse effects of any slump in commodity prices should likewise be confined to the mining industry.
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