1st Sep 2014, 12:20 PM – Representatives Minerals Resource Rent Tax Repeal and Other Measures Bill 2013 [No. 2] — Consideration of Senate Message — Lay the bill aside

This division relates to the Policy For a minerals resource rent tax.

The majority voted in favour of putting a motion that the bill be laid aside. This means that the bill will no longer be considered.

Liberal MP Steven Ciobo put this motion because the bill "cannot be progressed in its current form". He explained that "the government cannot accept the three Senate amendments to the bill to retain in full the low-income superannuation contribution, the income support bonus and the schoolkids bonus ... [because] [t]hese measures were to be funded by the proceeds of the mining tax".(Read Mr Ciobo's full explanation of his motion here. )

Background to the bill

The bill was introduced to repeal the minerals resource rent tax ('MRRT'), which the Coalition called the “mining tax”.(You can read more about the MRRT here. ) The tax began 1 July 2012 and applies to profits earned from the extraction of mineral resources such as coal and iron ore. Its abolition was an election promise of the Coalition during the 2013 election campaign.(You can read the Coalition's policy here. )

The bill also repeals the schoolkids bonus, the income support bonus and the low income superannuation contribution.

This is the second time a bill implementing these measures has been introduced. Earlier this year, the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Repeal and Other Measures Bill 2013 was rejected in the Senate.(See that division here.)