The Liberal National Party have committed to axing the carbon tax, mining tax and to cut red tape if elected.

Yesterday's latest announcement from the Tony Abbott will also see 1.5 per cent cut from business tax to restore confidence.

Mr Macfarlane said he knew Mount Isa Mines was under pressure after the Glencore Xstrata merge and any relief would be important for the city.

"They are big users of energy out there, not just gas but gas-fired electricity so that's (getting rid of the carbon tax) of critical importance," he said.

"They haven't disclosed to us what their carbon bill is but it would be significant, in the millions of dollars, based on their energy consumption."

Glencore Xstrata has laid off approximately 8000 employees from its Australian coal operations in recent times - a trend Mr Macfarlane said put Mount Isa jobs under pressure.

"If they are confident that they have a government in office that knows business and knows how to run the economy then I think the chances of this operation continuing are very high," he said.

Candidate for Kennedy Noeline Ikin accompanied the minister on his tour of Mount Isa and Cloncurry this week and said she spoke to business owners during her stay who had already seen the flow on effects of a mining industry lacking confidence. "This morning one chap came by with a car washing business. He said he's getting two people through in a week where he used to be flat out booked up two weeks in advance," she said.

"The populations have seen the job losses here already and people were coming up to us saying,'look, we really need these mines in place'."

Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter recently stated that if Mount Isa Mines weren't going to continue processing copper through their extended open pit plans it should let another miner on the lease. The Shadow Minister said although the Mount Isa Mines lease was under state regulatory control, the commonwealth led by a LNP government would hold a "use it or lose it" policy for mining leases that would set an example for state governments.

"It won't be a free for all process but if a proponent comes along with a viable project and says they'll develop this resource and the owner of the lease is just sitting there I think it's fair to expect that the government, federally with offshore gas or within the state, will have a look at that."