Relaunched mining tax campaign aimed at election

Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan. Photo / Mark Mitchell

PERTH - A relaunched advertising campaign against the Australian Federal Government's proposed mining tax is part of a political agenda focused on the election, Treasurer Wayne Swan says.

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (Amec), which represents junior to mid-tier miners, confirmed on Sunday it is preparing to relaunch its advertising campaign.

Fortescue Metals Group chief and outspoken critic of the tax, Andrew Forrest, has said he would be prepared to invest in a campaign against the planned Mineral Resources Rent Tax (MRRT).

He earlier resisted calls to fund ads against the now dumped Resources Super Profits Tax.

Amec claims smaller miners were not adequately consulted about the revamped tax which was announced after negotiations between the Government and mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Xstrata.

Yesterday, Swan said he and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson were being genuine in their consultations with smaller miners over their concerns about the MRRT.

"Their concerns are ones that we do take on board," he told ABC Radio.

"But parallel to that process we have got some people out there who are running a political campaign and a political agenda in the context of the election, particularly with the advertising."

Swan said most of the smaller miners he was talking to were not involved in that "partisan campaign". What Forrest did was entirely up to him, he said.

"What we've got with the MRRT, I think, is a pretty broad-based agreement across the mining industry."

Swan said the Government would institute a regional infrastructure fund that would see A$2 billion ($2.5 billion) go to Western Australia, particularly to assist mining communities.

- AAP