WHO's LOOKING AFTER SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Federal Government (controlled by the more populous states in the Lower House) has been adept at taking good tax revenue bases from the states for their own. Income tax was originally a state tax for example.

The current government now wants to lay claim to another state revenue source in the form of its proposed mining tax, on the basis that our mining resources belong to all Australians. If this argument was extended, some could claim that these resources belong to the whole world on this logic. The flipside is that if it belongs to all Australians, what is the point of Native Title.

Surely there is a strong argument that resources in South Australia belong to South Australians, yet no one in Federal or State Politics appears to be standing up for States' rights. If commodity prices go up at a sustainable level, then the State Government should increase royalties payable to the State. If mining companies are making more profit than before, the Commonwealth must already be getting more in company tax than before.

The big states have ripped off our water resources, are they to get our mining resources as well?