Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to add my voice to those urging the opposition to exercise some common sense and commit to supporting regional economies. We have heard countless stories in this chamber of the hardship that would arise from a 32 per cent tax on foreign workers undertaking seasonal labour, and I call on the Labor Party to act in the best interests of our rural towns and communities.

Before discussing the merits of the legislation itself, we must revisit the events that brought us here today, and that chain of events began long before the 2015-16 budget. In fact, it began when Prime Minister Julia Gillard altered the tax-free threshold in 2011. As many in this chamber would recall, Ms Gillard trebled the tax-free threshold from $6,000 to $18,200.

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