Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I refer the minister to changes announced by the Assistant Treasurer to the tax arrangements for non-forestry managed investment schemes. Is the minister aware that this announcement has created significant uncertainty for this growing sector of Australia’s agricultural industry? Isn’t this uncertainty placing at risk up to half a billion dollars in investments and thousands of jobs in rural and regional Australia? Can the minister indicate what steps he took to try to save these jobs and industries or whether he simply accepted the Assistant Treasurer’s devastating decision that will destroy jobs and industry in rural and regional Australia?