Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Secondly, it is false to say that the backpacker tax act 10.5 per cent is a tax break for foreign workers. At 10.5 per cent, the backpacker tax—

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: Senator Lambie, my reflection on the withdrawal was the reference to 'porkies' attached to a member of the other place. That has an inference of its own, and I ask you to withdraw.

What do you want me to withdraw, Chair? That he tells porkies, or that it is Barnaby's? Which one is it?

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: You made reference to 'Barnaby's porkies'. I asked you to withdraw the reference to that.

I withdraw 'Barnaby's porkies' to keep the peace. At 10.5 per cent, the backpacker tax will be an increase, not a tax break. I repeat that for some media who are still swallowing the Treasurer's and the Deputy Prime Minister's lines hook, line and sinker. At 10.5 per cent, the backpacker tax will be an increase, not a tax break. Now we all have that right. I know that even at 10.5 per cent backpackers will suffer a disadvantage and have a tax increase over normal arrangements. It is because they stop coming to Tasmania to pick our fruit. Some members of the media and in this parliament may get fooled by this government's deliberate untruths, but the backpackers are not fooled and they are now voting with their feet.

How do we stop them voting with their feet and bypassing Australia? We lower the tax rate from 19 per cent to 10.5 per cent, because 19 per cent is not internationally competitive. How do we know that it is not internationally competitive? Because the backpackers, even at nine per cent, are voting with their feet and avoiding Australia like the plague. We have an opportunity in our parliament to fix this problem right here and now. Do it once and do it right. Guarantee that our farmers are not coming back to this parliament in one or two years and saying, '19 per cent is just not working.'

I am going to speak very slowly for those National Party members of this chamber who have difficulty in understanding this issue. No matter how much you spend on advertising this stinking, rotten tax deal overseas—you can double the promotion budget to $20 million—it will still be a stinking, rotten tax deal. This morning all that the Deputy PM, Mr Joyce, could say on national radio was, 'Jacqui Lambie, Jacqui Lambie, Jacqui Lambie'. All the problems of the Australian rural sector can be blamed on Jacqui Lambie, Jacqui Lambie, Jacqui Lambie. After this morning's interview with Radio Nationalhost Fran Kelly, I think the Deputy PM has an unhealthy fixation with Jacqui Lambie. He said 'Jacqui Lambie' seven times. Get a life! The poor old Deputy PM obviously needs help. The government is falling into Labor's clever political trap to make the Liberals and National look like a bunch of dysfunctional fools. All the Labor Party is doing to take down this government is to give the Deputy Prime Minister an opportunity to speak to our media. That is it: a simple plan to bring down the Turnbull government, let Deputy Prime Minister Joyce—