BHP Billiton has doubled down in its fight against new tax proposals for mining corporations. The mining giant is now accused of “bullying its staff” with anti-tax advertisements in the workplace. 

WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls has been pushing for a tax increase on iron ore -- a change he says would fund a “tourism investment revolution.” BHP’s response? It’s bombarding workers with anti-tax ads on workplace computers and in staff rooms. 

BHP has allegedly overridden its workplace computer system to force employees to see anti-tax ad screensavers. A BHP spokesperson claims the ads are meant to “inform our workforce of the potential impacts” of the tax proposal. But don’t be fooled: this is not-so-subtle coercion designed to sway employees’ votes come March 11. 

It’s no coincidence that BHP is ramping up its anti-tax campaign in advance of Gryll’s re-election March 11. Grylls has pushed hard to update production taxes on iron ore that have remained unchanged for decades -- a change that would add $7.2 billion in tax revenue over four years alone.  

With Grylls up for re-election in less than a month, it’s unacceptable for BHP to try to influence employees’ votes with one-sided ads in the workplace. Unsurprisingly, the ads are silent about the benefits of the tax proposal: billions of dollars to be invested in regional infrastructure, cheaper regional flights, and indigenous tourism initiatives.