Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I rise to support the resolution put forward by the member for Grayndler not only for all of the reasons he has put so well but also on behalf of the tourism sector and of coarse on behalf of the many members on our side who were denied the opportunity to make a contribution to the bill relating to the backpacker tax—the member for Paterson; the member for Solomon; all our Tasmanian members, the members for Lyons, Braddon and Bass. Regional members right across this country were eager to make representations on behalf of their constituents, their growers and their farmers in their communities but were denied the opportunity to do so notwithstanding of course the fact that we could not have a Senate inquiry into a bill containing not one but three tax measures because it was so urgent. Yet here we are this evening denying local members the opportunity to speak on behalf of their growers and their farmers because suddenly this is such an urgent rush for this government. Why is this such an urgent rush for this government now, both the bill currently being debated and the one before it? Because this government has made such a mess of this process over the course of the last 18 months. This is a process that began during the May 2015 budget. We were told during the election campaign that the government would backflip on the backpacker tax measure, only to finally get an idea of the government's final position—we thought then it was the final position—of 19 per cent throughout the course of October. So any delay in these bills is entirely a matter for the government and falls entirely in the responsibility of this government.

The tourism sector just like the agriculture sector is angry. This is not the way you do policy. You do not do policy by deciding how much money you want to raise over four years and then build a policy around it. It is extraordinary that when the government had their first back down to 19 per cent that, rather than give up the revenue, they insisted on making it a budget-neutral decision by working the tourism sector with an increase in the passenger movement charge notwithstanding the fact that they had made it clear to all and sundry that they would not do so—a rolled gold pre-election promise that they would not do so.

But to make it worse, they decided that they would rape and pillage the superannuation accounts of international backpackers. This is the most extraordinary piece of public policy I think I have seen in this place. So, in future, farmers and tourism operators will have a tax on them. Small businesses will pay nine per cent into the accounts of backpackers as a superannuation payment, and the Treasurer, sitting opposite, will immediately take 95 per cent of that back. Backpackers in the past have not been real flash in claiming their superannuation when they go home so now it is only five per cent to be claimed, I can assure you that almost 100 per cent of backpackers will not be bothering in the future. That is an extraordinary piece of public policy when you think about it—make the employer pay and then tax it at 95 per cent.

Mr Morrison interjecting—

The Treasurer is right: I am speaking about the need to suspend standing orders and all the reasons this resolution should be supported by this House.

This government has been accused of many things. It has been accused of dysfunction, it has been accused of chaos, it has been accused quite rightly just now by the member for Grayndler of being unable to operate this place, unable to operate this chamber and indeed the other place. But what really concerns me more than anything is the way the conventions of this place are coming under attack. All those decades of convention and protocols in this place that this government is just throwing out the window. And of course what also concerns me is the sheer lack of integrity of this government. We see it with respect to Senator Brandis. We see it through the sacking of the respected departmental secretary; Dr Paul Grimes. We see it with the relocation of the APVMA. We see it in the way government members absolutely spin their intentions, with respect to both the backpacker tax and the passenger movement charge.

I say this is a government entirely without integrity. This is a government holding all the wrong priorities, putting their own interests in things like the ABCC—which is flawed legislation—and taking money off people like tourism operators and, worse, in my case, struggling farmers, to force their legislation through the Senate.

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