The first company to grandstand and say they hare not going to do any exploration given the uncertainty caused by the proposed mining tax on profits was announced today, the 4th of May.

Is this lost jobs?-NO! Exploration is exploration and often ends in failure.When the value is there, they will be back.

Jobs that are here now will stay. Even the miners workers union supports the tax! An asset in the ground will still be there in the future to be realised. The world is not going to stop wanting resources.

Everyone says the China boom will bust. They still have a significant percentage of their population linving in poverty, the earthqauke tioll is testament to poor building.

In Fiji you cannot buy land, only lease it. Yet in Australia we seem quite content to give our assets away. Whether the mining tax is the ultimate answer I am not qualitifed to know but it seems like a step in the right direction to make the assets of Australia worthwhile for all of Australia and to let others know we value our natural assets and will charge accordingly to part with them.

Rape and pillage needs to be curbed no matter where it's sourced (government, institution or individual). At present we are seeing what were this country's public resources and assets being given over by those who are purportedly serving their constituents into the control of foreign ownership, as well as some local private investors, but in the main - who think only of the quick ROI.

Most of our mining companies have significant overseas ownership or it is being used to support overseas interests and there is little concern for the welfare of Australian communities. I notice that this webpage has an promo for Generation>One - what portion of this mining tax will go to such programs?

It has taken Kevin Rudd two years to recognise that the only way to effectively boost the economy is to start putting in infrastructure that works for us (rail, road, dams, power generation, etc) and as he's emptied the kitty already on his handouts (instead of hand-ups), he's been forced to look around for someone with deep pockets and something in them.

Good on you mining companies for having the forsight to be available for fleecing. I'm really glad you were there, otherwise we'd all be paying extra for electricity, gas, water, rent, etc.... Hang on- I'll just compare my electric bill with the one from last year - OH-MYGOSH... They've got me tooooo.

When the tax burden was switched by the GST from the miners to the low income and pensioners the miners cheered.

When the mineing bosses recieved the unaffordable tax cuts the miners cheered.

Now asked to contribute to the ports, roads and rail used only by the miners, help educate the staff, keep the staff in good health guess what.

THE MINERS SCREAM THEIR BLOOY HEADS OFF.

This issue is raging at the moment with all parties posturing to get the best outcome. It is funny for so many to be taking the sides of the mining companies by likening them to every other big business. They are not the same as they are extracting an asset owned effectivley by us all. Surely some premium should be placed on this. Once it has gone it has gone for good.

Maybe there are exceptions for smaller companies such as quarries and the salt producers but these exceptions should not derail the whole train.

It is also of interest to see how much of Kakadu national park and its indigenous dwellers have been exposed to radioactive material from leaching and spills by the local big company mine. Mining companies are not benevolent societies and the fact we allow them to take and then harm our inhabitants should permit us to fix a premium on the opportunity.

The English money system used to be based on" well if it cost me this amolunt to produce I add a respectabole margin and sell it for that". The American money system, which the world has adopted is" I don't care what it cost to produce, I will sell it for what the market will bear" 

If Australia ends up being the most taxed marketplace in the world for mining companies as they argue, nice to be at the forefront again becuase as sure as eggs if we get the premium, other countries will follow suit.