'Times change': Albanese won't bring back mining tax

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has categorically ruled out bringing back a mining tax after the idea was floated at the government's jobs and skills summit overnight.

Economist Ross Garnaut, a former advisor to Bob Hawke, spoke at last night's summit dinner and said high commodity prices should drive budget surpluses.

He called for the return of a mining tax as part of this.

READ MORE: Australia could 'cut global emissions by seven per cent'

Albanese praised Garnaut's experience and ideas, but said "times have changed".

"You have new industries emerging, and you have, of course, different solutions for different times," he said.

Albanese said bringing unions and businesses together at the summit had helped establish common ground.

"We know that enterprise bargaining isn't working. Everyone has agreed on that," Albanese said.

READ MORE: AFL score review system under fire after finals thriller

"There are some differences as to the way forward, the right solutions and they will be worked through.

"But you would expect there to be some differences. You wouldn't expect to bring 140 people together and have 140 people agree on the way forward on every detail."

Nonetheless, he said, there was "broad agreement" in a number of areas, including the need to lift productivity and to introduce more flexibility to the better-off-overall test.

One area businesses and unions struck a common note was on paid parental leave, with both groups calling for extensions to what was currently available.

READ MORE: Taiwan shoots down drone off Chinese coast

But Albanese refused to commit to a course of action, though he said it was a "worthy idea".

"We are going to have a look at paid parental leave," he said.

"We certainly would like to do more but some of these issues, of course, are within the budget constraints which are there."

The summit will continue today, with the focus expected to be on boosting skilled migration numbers.

Related Posts

'Times change': Albanese won't bring back mining tax
4/ 5
Oleh