Bob Katter (Kennedy, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I speak as a person that, as I say, represents probably more backpackers than anyone else. You also have to understand that I represent workers who sometimes feel threatened by backpackers. You find your way through this. This is the amendment I would like to move: that the moneys currently paid to superannuation be redirected to the government as revenue for the government and that all discriminatory backpacker tax be removed.

It is an enormous onus on farmers and tourism operators. A lot of these backpackers work for tourist operators. Most the backpackers can speak two or three languages so they are excellent people to employ in this area. It is an onerous burden upon them to have to do all of the paperwork for superannuation. A lot of these backpackers do not take their superannuation with them. You can say, 'Oh well, that is revenue to the government.' But I think most of them do take their superannuation with them. We would then relieve the farmers and the tourist operators from the loathsome burden of having to pay superannuation to a person that has no relevance to Australia. Then the backpackers' employers—the farmers and the tourist operators—would be thanking the government, not cursing them, and the government would get the revenue. But as it is now, there is a very good chance the government will get no revenue—aided by both the tourist operators and the farmers that employ the backpackers.

The logic was there but no-one ever discussed it with any of the people that were concerned. The government stupidly went on in complete ignorance, even when they were told what was a logical way to go that would lead them as heroes to everybody; they completely ignored that. And as for the NFF, I would not take too much notice of the NFF. (Time expired)

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