Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Yes, I do know of an alternative policy that is going to discriminate against Australian workers over foreign workers. I note also that in this backpacker tax issue we had negotiated with so many people an outcome that was fair and that also would attract labour from overseas, an outcome that was backed by the NFF, which said:

At the rate of 19 per cent, Australian wages are competitive with New Zealand and Canada and we can start to reconnect with working holiday makers …

It was an outcome that was supported by New South Wales farmers, who were happy at the proposed 19 per cent rate; an outcome that was supported by the Northern Territory Farmers Association, which had confidence in the new rate; an outcome that was supported by QFF; an outcome that was supported by the VFF; an outcome that was supported by the Lockyer fruitgrowers. It was an outcome that was supported by so many. But now there is this strange amalgam where we have the Senator Jacqui Lambie, Bill Shorten, One Nation pact—

See this speech in context