Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:01): I am asked about Olympic Dam. As a South Australian I am very happy to talk about Olympic Dam. I am somewhat surprised that no South Australian Liberal senator wanted to ask me about Olympic Dam. We have a Queenslander asking. I am also asked about uncertainty. Let us be very clear that any uncertainty that is created in relation to the investment environment is because Mr Abbott is making clear he wants to remove a mining tax that the miners are prepared to pay. But I want to go precisely to the issue of Olympic Dam because I, like every other South Australian, except perhaps some in the Greens, was deeply disappointed with the decision of BHP Billiton to defer investment. The only people who are cheering that decision are those opposite and Mr Abbott—a disgraceful attempt to use this decision to fuel their dishonest fear campaign. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, resume your seat. When there is silence on both sides we will proceed. Senator WONG: I refer the good senator to the statement released by BHP Billiton in relation to this decision, the statement his leader could not be bothered reading before he stood up at a press conference with South Australians to talk about how dreadful it was that everything else had stopped Olympic Dam. The press release from BHP Billiton—a statement to investors, to shareholders and to the market; a statement that can be believed—says that: … current market conditions, including subdued commodity prices and higher capital costs, has led to this decision. There is no mention of the carbon price, no mention of the mining tax, which, if those opposite paid any attention, they would know does not apply to the output of Olympic Dam. Those opposite should be ashamed of the way they have dealt with— (Time expired)