Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We just heard from one of the Tasmanian members that it took us some time. Yes, it did. If you had come to the table six months ago, we could have resolved this.

We have heard from the shadow Treasurer that the Labor Party are not talking about no tax; they are talking about 10 per cent and saying that is effectively what you would see in an Australian workplace—rubbish. Is he suggesting—and if he is I encourage him to make it policy—that the effective tax rate in this country for Australian workers is 10 per cent or 10.5 per cent? There is no way the effective tax rate for Australian workers is 10.5 per cent. Effectively, what they are arguing is for Australian workers to be taxed at a higher rate than foreign workers. I accept that it is a working holiday, but I do not accept that it should be a tax-free holiday—not at all.

The other inconvenient truth, here, for the member for Hunter—I encourage him to try and explain this—is why does, presumably, the Australian Labor Party want a tax rate for backpackers, foreign workers here under 417 visas, a full 4½ per cent lower than the effective tax rate for Pacific workers working on the Pacific Seasonal Worker Program. It is incredibly inconsistent, and why is it inconsistent? It is because they are playing the politics of, 'How do we get Bill into the Lodge as quickly as possible?' It is absolute rubbish and not the Australian Labor Party of a previous day.

The member for Hunter, who has been large on this debate, who has been huge, absolutely significant—it is a pity he cannot get a question up at question time—might have wanted to word up the Assistant Treasurer when the Assistant Treasurer was saying that the Labor Party does not support a zero rate. The member for Hunter yesterday said, 'Well, the Australian Labor Party was happy with zero, happy for foreign workers to come to this country, take jobs that are available to Australians, compete with Australians for those jobs and, effectively, pay a tax rate of zero.' Fair dinkum, mate. Are we serious about getting young Australians and unemployed Australians into work? Clearly not.

It is like I told you, you are not the Australian Labor Party of Hawke and Keating; sadly, you are not, because you are not interested in the national interest. You should take a minute to think about the national interest. We can have our partisan fights at election time—bring it on—but not while we are trying to govern, not while the casualties here are hardworking Australian farmers who you have sacrificed in your pursuit of one member for Maribyrnong and his journey to the Lodge.

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