JILL EMBERSON: Interesting you say bad news for industry, because BHP, Rio Tinto and Xstrata have taken hands on this and said yep, we are ready to pay.

BOB BALDWIN: Well that’s three of the big mining companies. Let me tell you they’re not happy with having to pay increased tax and it will affect investment. One of the big issues of course is the amount of tax that’s collected here out of the Hunter that goes to Sydney or goes to Canberra, that doesn’t come back to our region. Our region has always demanded a fair share. There is no track record on that, particularly from the NSW Government with the royalties they’ve collected. What we need to see was a fresh sheet approach. This is not a fresh sheet approach, and the mining companies need to be aware. Particularly the coal miners that were promised all of these deals prior to the last election and when the Government stepped up with its ETS campaign, they were forgotten. Now, this Government doesn’t have a track record on honest and accountability in relation to policy deals that are made ahead of an election. I just urge a caution. I don’t want to see anything that impacts on jobs in our region, on investment and opportunity. In particular I don’t want to see the impact in the increased cost of energy, to consumers, particularly pensioners and low income earners who can very little afford policies such as this.

JILL EMBERSON: Interesting that you make the point about jobs, we’ve observed in the press in the last couple of days that throughout this week, whether the tax was going through or not, there have been over 6000 jobs being advertised by the mining industry in Australia. So there doesn’t seem to be any downer on jobs.

BOB BALDWIN: Well that’s because the tax hasn’t been introduced yet. Once the tax is introduced and the full cost and flow on costs of it are felt by the community, there will be an impact on jobs. Now, it was the Access Economics report that said just off the ETS, that 17,000 jobs directly and indirectly would go in our region. When you add that to the cost of jobs with this new tax, which are yet to be fully determined, it is bad news for our region. The Government can champion all it likes that it has had a great victory in reducing the tax burden, but it is a tax burden that is not necessary. That’s why the Opposition oppose it.

JILL EMBERSON: It’s interesting because um, I would have thought as somebody new to the Hunter, I would have thought that residents here would have been overwhelmingly opposed to it, but every time we have a discussion about it, people who work in the mining industry who see it close up and personal, say that they are all for it.

BOB BALDWIN: Well that’s only the trade union officials who are saying that, because remember the trade union is, um the Labor Party is the political arm of the Trade Union movement. When I talk to people out there whose jobs are affected, will be affected, those in the support industries for the mining industry, they have great concerns. Look there is a long way to go in discussion.

JILL EMBERSON: Indeed.

What we found from the last election campaign, when promises were made to the coal industry in our region, that were reneged on by this Government, there is still uncertainty with anything the Labor Government promises to the people in the mining industry.

JILL EMBERSON: Good to talk with you this morning ah, now, Bob Baldwin thanks so very much for your time. An agreement has been reached but it’s not over yet is it?

BOB BALDWIN: Well it’s a long way to go yet, a long way out. Then you’ve got ah, two extremes. You’ve got Bob Brown saying not enough, not far enough. You’ve got the Coalition now saying we don’t want to do anything that will impact on jobs and investment in our region. Um, she will be relying on the Greens to get their bill through the Senate after the next election. Obviously they don’t have the support to get it through. It means the mining companies are going to be impacted more than they anticipated.

JILL EMBERSON: Bob Baldwin thanks for your time this morning really appreciate it.

BOB BALDWIN: Thankyou.

JILL EMBERSON: Bob Baldwin is the Liberal Member for Paterson.