HOW much does it cost to bring down a prime minister?
The answer: a tad over $22 million.
That’s how much the mining industry spent in six weeks last year on its campaign against Kevin Rudd’s plan for a resource super profit tax. The advertising and public relations campaign dominated the airwaves in May and June.
The industry’s national body, the Minerals Council of Australia, spent $17.2 million, mainly on TV advertisements; BHP Billiton spent $4.2 million; Rio Tinto just over $537,000, and a smaller lobby group, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, just under $274,000.
See http://www.smh.com.au/business/a-snip-at-22m-to-get-rid-of-pm-20110201-1acgj.html.