Golden goose has eggs enough for all

There is nothing like a tax debate to simultaneously make our eyes glaze over and excite us: it all depends if we are directly affected or not. It is for this reason that governments tread a careful path on where to increase taxes while trying to spread any decrease, no matter how small, as widely as possible. Despite the fear mongering of the mining lobby, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's new resource tax should be welcomed, even though there is room for significant improvement. Mining is a golden goose. While some of its eggs bring benefits many are tainted, causing negative effects from pollution to driving up the exchange rate and making other Australian industries less competitive on the international stage. The resource super profits tax is one step towards ensuring the benefits of the goose are shared and the negative impacts minimised.