Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

We know that the Australian agricultural industry is a $100-billion-a-year industry, which equates to about 12 per cent of GDP. The farmers have done this, and they've continued to get out there before the sun comes up every morning, even under the extremely difficult circumstances of the past two years. We've seen electricity prices go up 20 per cent, gas prices go up 27 per cent and fuel prices go through the roof, and the farmers have continued to get out there. We know that they put the food on the table and the fibre on our backs in Australia, and they are recognised worldwide as best-practice farmers. In my electorate alone, I have horticulture—bananas, blueberries and strawberries. There's the seafood industry and the oyster industry, the beef farmers and the corn growers. I could go on. They're out there contributing to Australia's economy and contributing to our regional areas. These are things that people in the metropolitan areas would never dream of. To them, the food simply appears, miraculously, on the supermarket shelves.

What does the Labor government do to thank our Australian farmers for the $100 billion industry and the 12 per cent of GDP, for getting out of bed before sparrow's fart? It puts another tax on them, through the agricultural biosecurity protection levy. It's a tax.

In what parallel universe does the Labor government think that the pub test would be passed where our farmers are paying a levy for biosecurity—which is very important, and I'll talk about that shortly—for things that are being sent from overseas to our country? That doesn't pass the pub test. If you go to any other country—and we export to all these other countries—who pays for that levy? We do. And we should. But the fact is that those countries and those exporters should be paying for the biosecurity levy for things that come into this country. Whether that's a washing machine, a grape or a bottle of olives from Italy, they should bear the cost for their own either reckless or bad biosecurity practices in their country. Why on earth would you punish an Australian farmer for their practices? It does not make sense.

I do not want to see one Labor member stand up in this House and say how good Australian farmers are. If they are supporting this bill, the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies Bill 2024, they should hang their heads in shame, because they are punishing our farmers, who are doing it tough already. They are doing it tough with the cost of living and the prices of fuel, electricity and gas, not to mention all the other bad policies that Labor have imposed in the last two years. Biosecurity is important, and we have the best practices here. Our farmers already contribute to biosecurity protection. There are already taxes and tariffs on our farmers. But the Labor government in their wisdom decided to give them another one: 'We'll just tap that farming community.'

What they will do is push our farmers off the cliff. And then what are we going to do? We're going to import our produce from overseas. Farmers are going to walk off the land. They've already started walking off the land. It is getting tougher and tougher, yet there is no recognition for our farmers. They get a slap in the face with this bill, which will make them pay for other countries' bad practices. That's exactly what it is. But don't ask me; ask the people in the industry. I'll give you a few quotes from them.

I'll start with the National Farmers' Federation, who represent all the major agricultural commodities and jurisdictions. In their submission, they cite the following issues with the BPL tax:

Its inconsistency with established levy imposition and collection principles; Its inconsistency with the agreed principles of the National Biosecurity Strategy; The likelihood of a range of negative unintended consequences for agricultural and biosecurity systems …

…   …   …

The lack of recognition of existing producer contributions to the biosecurity system …

Labor is double dipping here. They're double dipping on our farmers, and they're hurting our farmers. They should be approaching those countries who are, with the benefit of increasing their GDP, exporting to our country to pay this levy.

You could ask Grain Producers Australia. They were in the House today. Funnily enough, there was no mention of this levy by the government in question time. Surprise, surprise! They know it's bad policy. It's a bad bill. Grain Producers Australia, who act for 21,000 levy-paying members, say that, without a cost-benefit analysis and without any consultation or a strategy, this is just a money grab—that's 100 per cent; you are spot on—this is just a money grab:

Tax the Importers before introducing a new tax on grain growers. Stop flogging the farmers who take all the risks and already pay levies. Fuel, chemical and fertiliser costs have risen sharply since covid. No more expenses can be tolerated.

If you're not a farmer and you're listening to this and you're thinking, 'Well, this isn't really going to affect me,' think again. Our farmers cannot, and should not, absorb these costs. If this tax doesn't push them off the cliff, then those costs will be passed on to you and your family sitting at home. Think about how much more you had to pay 18 months to two years ago. For me, I do the shopping. I actually enjoy going to Coles and doing the shopping and doing the cooking. I know that my grocery bill has increased by 30 per cent per week. Are you prepared to absorb the increase from this tax? If you're not, get in contact with one of the Labor members. Email the Labor members and say: 'Why are you beating up on our farmers? Why are you contributing to the cost-of-living pressures that we are facing right now?' Because that is exactly what this will do to you, so you should take an interest. If you're not a farmer, you should take an interest in what this Labor government is wanting to do to our farmers who feed you and put food on the table and fibre on your back.

I digress. AUSVEG also highlighted the exact same concerns, going so far as to say that, while biosecurity is everybody's responsibility, unfortunately, the BPL—this tax—is passing this tax burden to growers who already contribute to the biosecurity protection through their levies and as one of the beneficiaries of the biosecurity system. It is incredibly disappointing that one of the most significant risk creators, the container trade, has not been brought under the fold of the levy.

The Red Meat Advisory Council, which represent the interests of 76,000 businesses, said that it reaffirms its support for an adequate, resourced and sustainable biosecurity funding model and acknowledges the Commonwealth funding for biosecurity outlined in the 2023-24 budget but remains deeply concerned with the proposed biosecurity protection levy and recommends the existing and projected biosecurity funding shortfall be primarily covered by a long-term bipartisan commitment for increased budget appropriation and/or be covered by risk creators. Risk creators are those countries sending their goods here. They need to lift their game. They need to make sure their biosecurity measures are as good as ours. And we need to ensure that our farmers don't get slugged with another tax.

This does not pass the pub test. I have called various people, various farmers, whether they be banana growers or in the fishing industry, and they're gobsmacked. They cannot believe that this government would punish them. That is what it is. It's a punishment on them for farming. We don't see this in any other industry. It's a punishment on them for farming, and yet they are the ones who abide by the highest biosecurity protocols in the world. We have the best biosecurity protocols in the world—they're best practice—and yet the government continues to punish our farmers by making life more difficult and more expensive.

The member for Riverina is so correct: it is unfair. The government is happy to take the money in the coffers from the work that our farmers do and then, on the other side, punish them for the work that they do. It makes absolutely no sense, and we will overturn this. We will change it once we get back into government. I urge all the farmers to get out there leading up to the next election and let everybody know what this government has done to them. But I would expect most people, whether farmers or not, would know what this government has done to them, because they are hurting. We will overturn this because it is unfair. Those people who create the risk should be paying for the levy. We will change that.

I will finish by referring to a direct quote from the president of the National Farmers Federation where he said just a couple of weeks ago:

We're shocked to say the least that they'd ignore the unanimous voices of farmers, importers and policy experts. If they aren't listening to this broad church of voices who are they listening to?

The answer is: no-one.

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