Mining Tax
Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the proposed mining tax (called the Minerals Resource Rent Tax) on large profits of mining companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | 12 Jul 2010 | ||
| Total approve | 46% | 72% | 27% | 82% | 50% | |
| Total disapprove | 34% | 13% | 57% | 2% | 28% | |
| Strongly approve | 18% | 33% | 7% | 43% | 13% | |
| Approve | 28% | 39% | 20% | 39% | 37% | |
| Disapprove | 18% | 10% | 29% | 1% | 18% | |
| Strongly disapprove | 16% | 3% | 28% | 1% | 10% | |
| Don’t know | 19% | 15% | 17% | 16% | 22% |
46% approve the Government’s proposed mining tax and 34% disapprove. This represents a weakening in support since this question was asked in July 2010.
Labor voters (72%) and Greens voters (82%) strongly support the tax – but Liberal/National voters disapprove 57% to 27%.
Attitudes to Mining Tax
Q. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the proposed mining tax?
| Total agree | Total disagree | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | Don’t know | |
| A mining tax is needed so that more of the profits of mining companies are kept in Australia instead of being sent overseas. | 57% | 24% | 26% | 31% | 15% | 9% | 19% |
| A mining tax will hurt business and undermine the country’s economic recovery. | 36% | 44% | 13% | 23% | 29% | 15% | 20% |
| It’s about time all corporations, including the miners, started paying their fair share of taxes. | 62% | 19% | 26% | 36% | 13% | 6% | 18% |
| A miners’ tax is just another example of the Gillard ALP’s anti-business attitude. | 34% | 45% | 16% | 18% | 24% | 21% | 21% |
| The mining companies make huge profits from resources which belong to all Australians, so all Australians should benefit from these large profits. | 67% | 15% | 34% | 33% | 12% | 3% | 18% |
There was strong agreement that all corporations, including the miners, started paying their fair share of taxes (62%) and that all Australians should benefit from the large profits of mining companies (67%). Respondents were more likely to disagree that a mining tax will hurt business and undermine the country’s economic recovery (44% disagree/36% agree) and that the tax is just another example of the Gillard ALP’s anti-business attitude (45% disagree/34% agree).
Taxing Mining Company Profits
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 56% | 75% | 36% | 83% |
| Total disapprove | 27% | 13% | 49% | 6% |
| Strongly approve | 21% | 32% | 6% | 46% |
| Approve | 35% | 43% | 30% | 37% |
| Disapprove | 20% | 11% | 35% | 4% |
| Strongly disapprove | 7% | 2% | 14% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 17% | 13% | 15% | 11% |
There was majority approval of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies – 56% approved and 27% disapproved. Labor and Greens voters showed very high approval while Liberal/National voters split 36% approve/49% disapprove.
There were no significant differences by demographic groupings (age/income/work status).
Taxing Mining Company Profits
Q. Would you approve or disapprove of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies if the funds raised were used to provide higher superannuation for all workers?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total approve | 56% | 68% | 44% | 84% |
| Total disapprove | 24% | 14% | 39% | 8% |
| Strongly approve | 20% | 33% | 8% | 37% |
| Approve | 36% | 35% | 36% | 47% |
| Disapprove | 16% | 11% | 25% | 4% |
| Strongly disapprove | 8% | 3% | 14% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 20% | 18% | 17% | 8% |
When asked whether they approved of higher taxes on the profits of large mining companies if the funds raised were used to provide higher superannuation for all workers, 56% approved (no change) and 24% disapproved (down 3%).
Labor voters were slightly less supportive if the funds were tied to super increases (approval down 7%) while Liberal/National voters were more supportive (approval up 8% and disapproval down 10%).
Full-time workers split 58% approve/27% disapprove, part-time workers 57% approve/17% disapprove and those not working 53% approve/25% disapprove. Highest disapproval was shown by workers earning over $1,600 per week – 56% approved but 32% disapproved.
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