The mining giants may baulk and carry on at the moment but at the end of the day they will suck it and absorb it.
At whose cost? At the cost of a couple of workers that puts more pressure on the workers that leads to shortcuts to get the job done and extra pressure that may lead to accidents?
The extra costs and dangers of running mining operations in many other countries will still make Australia an attractive investment option.
Compared to which contries? The big wigs care about reputation and efficiency. Mining operations pretty well do what they want in some countries, particularly Africa and Asia. Australia would be one of the most costly regions for operations I would think.
If they do decide to leave our resources in the ground a little longer, then these resources will only become more valuable over time. The worlds resources are finite and as they diminish in volume those left behind become more valuable.
It's not bad logic but it's still a kick in the pants for current mining workers who will be wondering about the longevity of their jobs.
This super tax proposal is only part of a wider range of changes to the tax system, as recommended by the Henry Report, that is meant to reduce the tax burden on the rest of us.
But will it equal tax relief for the average Joe, really?
THat all said I don't pretend to be an expert, these are my impressions from someone who has never worked at a mine.