96 Results

While the resources boom creates thousands of mining jobs, it is the services industries that are driving the biggest change in our workforce.

The generosity of politicians towards the mining industry knows no bounds, whether it is the wobbling Gillard mob in Canberra or the smug lot led by suave Barry O’Farrell in Sydney.

A failure to sensibly regulate the mining industry is compromising its productivity, the environment — and the electoral fortunes of the Labor government, writes Lionel Elmore, Crikey naturalist.

This week, Crikey’s Canberra Correspondent Bernard Keane and Crikey editor Sophie Black discuss the return of WorkChoices, Peter Reith’s failed Liberal Party presidency bid and Bob Brown’s report into the foreign ownership of Australia’s mining sector.

“Independent research” reveals the surprising outcome that mining companies dislike unions. A media release from the Australian Mines and Metals Association exposes the stance.

“Selling off the farm” is no longer a metaphor, with a rising tide of complaints about foreign ownership of agricultural land. But the real problem is how multinational companies exploits tax laws.

It is concerning that the plan to return the budget to surplus in 2012-13 is dependent on rising commodity prices and the ongoing expansion of the resource sector, write James Arvanitakis and Alex Surace, fellows at the Centre for Policy Development.

While a transnational company was ripping off Zambia, the mining industry here was claiming it was a model for Australia.

Forget WikiLeaks, Oprah and the Warne-Hurley saga, all eyes are on iorn ore baron Clive Palmer today, after the mining magnate made the surprising announcement yesterday that he was investing in the commercial viability of the Zeppelin.

Gina Rinehart’s $50 million investment in Fairfax Media would seem to confirm one of the theories regarding her sudden interest in the media sector, and blow up a few others.

The deal Julia Gillard cut last year with the big three mining companies - BHP, Rio Tinto and Xstrata - is reportedly under threat of unraveling, with the PM and the three companies embroiled in a dispute about whether refund royalties should apply retrospectively.

According to The Australian, the mining tax will either have too much effect on the mining industry, or not enough. Either way, of course, a partisan Treasury is to blame.

The mining industry has scored a big win over the weekend, but there are a couple of little problems in its wake.

When Ben Hagemann was offered a mining job in the NT, he figured it’d be a nice way to see the Top End. He wasn’t expecting radiation poisoning, drink driving escapades and beautiful rainbow serpent stories.

Ten days into the 2010 election campaign the major parties are opening their war chests to woo voters. But both major candidates have so far appeared desperate to highlight their credentials despite being devoid of meaningful policy on important economic or business issues, writes Ian Verrender.

Maritime workers walked off docks shortly after the tragic death of a fellow worker on Wednesday at the Appleton dock, writes Crikey intern and ex-rigger Ben Hagemann.

Labor’s so-called super profits tax was slashed shortly after Julia Gillard took office. But exactly how much revenue did the government forfeit to please big business? It’s time for Wayne Swan to give us the facts, writes Malcolm Turnbull.

The government has given the mining industry nearly everything it wants — and dramatically slashed the rate that would have applied under the RSPT.

The mining industry invested at least $7 million in TV and radio advertisements for their PR war against the government’s mining tax. It was money very well spent, says Julian Lee.

Daily Media Wrap: It was the compromise we had to have, with Julia Gillard announcing this morning the government’s new deal with the mining industry.

Corporations shouldn’t control our nation, yet the mining bigwigs played an important part in ousting Kevin Rudd from the prime ministership. Let’s not let it happen again, writes Peter Menadue.

While there is speculation of a Government compromise on the RSPT, the mining industry has made clear it doesn’t want any deal, even on the most generous terms, according to a senior coal industry source.

Much of the talk around the RSPT and the mining industry is about how valuable mining is to indigenous communities. But that depends on what you define “progress” as, says Sarah Burnside.