Well, they can’t wait to abandon the good ship Twiggy Forrest now. I’d like to say its an outbreak of good sense but I suspect it’s more like a response to intense lobbying and a wish not to be caught out on a political limb. The leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, is suddenly all backbone, from The Guardian:
“I have grave concerns about such an inquiry and the prime minister and treasurer’s stated position in support of it,” Shorten said on Wednesday night, suggesting an inquiry could cost Australia iron ore sales to China and Japan.
“It also sends a terrible signal to customers and flies in the face of commitments to our largest customers such as China and Japan that they can count on secure supply at sustainable prices.