The Western Australian branch of the Liberal Party is seeking to capitalise on the mining sector's angst over Kevin Rudd’s Resources Super Profits Tax by launching a campaign to raise funds for a big political fight on the issue.
The Western Australian branch of the Liberal Party is seeking to capitalise on the mining sector's angst over Kevin Rudd’s Resources Super Profits Tax by launching a campaign to raise funds for a big political fight on the issue.
The move comes after federal opposition leader Tony Abbott made his oppostion to the tax clear, hoping to fight the forthcoming national election on the risks of "Kevin Rudd's great big new tax on mining".
A fund raising letter has been mailed out to businesses in WA seeking donations to fund the campaign, which will target marginal seats in Perth.
Several Perth electorates, including Foreign Minister Stephen Smith's seat of Perth and parliamentary secretary for Northern Australia Gary Gray's seat of Brand, are seen as potential targets by the Liberals because of the number of fly-in-fly-out workers that reside in them.
The letter to potential business donors states that the local Liberal leadership believes that political parties have a better chance of getting their message to voters than industry bodies.
“Politics is a serious business and can't be left to the well intentioned but often ineffective campaigns of others,” writes the WA Liberal party leadership – state preseidnet Barry Court, Leader’s Forum chai Danielle Blain and state director Ben Morton.
“Over recent years, the Liberals in Western Australia have developed a reputation for executing very successful political campaigns – after all it’s what we do!”
Another flyer intended for distribution puts this point more bluntly.
“We all know that industry organisations have their place in policy development and academic promotion of their cause.
“But it’s hard to point to a successful industry-run political campaign. Quite simply, they are no good at it.”
“This fight is political, only a Liberal campaign will put pressure on Labor in the key marginal seats where it matters - and defeat this new tax.”
The Liberals are hoping to garner monetary backing for its opposition to the tax which federal Labor launched two weeks ago in a response the Henry Tax Review which it hopes to raise $9 billion per year.
In its battle plan, which includes letter drops in at more than five marginal WA seats, the Liberal party makes reference to the automatic financial support from the trade union movement that Labor receives.
It is understood the mood of WA miners had not yet translated into significant funding for the campaign. Many miners may still hope the federal government will water down the current proposal to a more palatable form.
Mining companies don’t feature prominently on the Australian Electoral Commission’s donor list for 2008-09.
Below is the only obvious contenders found by WA Business News in an analysis of returns:
- Devereaux Holdings: $71,000 to Labor in WA; $21,000 to the state’s Liberals.
- Energy & Minerals: $50,000 to WA Liberal Party.
- Gindalbie Resources: WA Labor $30,000; WA Liberals $25,000
- Mineralogy: $470,000 Liberals (Qld and Aust); $110,000 Nationals WA; WA Labor $25,000
- Wesfarmers: $45,000 split between state and fed Labor; ditto Libs; $20,000 split between state and federal Nationals
