Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Expert as I am on these matters, I am delighted to inform the honourable senator that the government itself does not propose any increase in levies. The industry and the industry body make the suggestion and conduct a ballot, and then the government seeks to facilitate the implementation of whatever decision is determined. So any change in the levy, as I understand it, is initiated by industry.

The ballot of which the senator speaks was undertaken by Boardroom Pty Ltd. As it happens, I have in my back pocket the numbers for this particular ballot, and I am advised that 69 voted in favour and 66 voted against. However, there is a twist. It seems as though the Greens must have had something to do with the way the vote was counted, because trees actually got a vote on this levy! The vote is weighted one vote for every 2,000 mango trees to a maximum of 20 votes. I just hope that Tony Sheldon from the Transport Workers Union did not do the count, because we know how he miscounts! In relation to the weighted vote, the 'Yes' vote was 269 and 112 were against out of a total potential vote of 793 that I understand Senator Leyonhjelm was referring to.

The issue of levies has been exercising the mind of the coalition, and we said at the last election that we would have a review of the process. I understand the honourable senator is interested in a Senate review, and that is something that we would be minded to join him in. (Time expired)