The outcome of a dramatic coup in Australia shocked investors on Thursday, as the once-popular Kevin Rudd was replaced as Prime Minister by his deputy Julia Gillard. The ouster ended a two-and-a-half year reign for the man who helped bring his party to power after an 11 year drought as the minority government. The move comes after Rudd had refused to budge on a controversial ’super tax’ on resource firms that would have been up to as much as 40% of profits and would have provided close to $9 billion to the government. The tax was vehemently opposed by miners who felt that the fee would stifle growth, curtail investment, and increase unemployment across the country. This news of a shift in leadership has put the fate of resource firms into focus. Initially, investors were optimistic that the new regime would consider axing the tax, although those hopes have faded somewhat. [...] Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com. Related Stories: UK ETF Rises, Pound Sinks As Cameron Becomes Prime Minister Mining ETFs: Ready To Rally? Afghanistan: The Next Frontier For Mining ETFs?