Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Hansard source

The Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2024 will amend the Passenger Movement Charge Act 1978 to increase the passenger movement charge from $60 to $70 from 1 July 2024. The passenger movement charge is imposed on persons departing Australia for another country and is usually collected by the carrier, such as an airline, at the time the ticket is sold and, at that time, is remitted by the carrier to the Department of Home Affairs.

The passenger movement charge helps to fund crucial border protection services, including Immigration and Customs. However, I'd like to acknowledge the concerns raised by the tourism industry about the potential impacts of an increase to the charge in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. The passenger movement charge in Australia is one of the highest departure taxes in the developed world. At a time when we want to be doing everything we can to help and support our tourism industry, it is unfortunate that the government has chosen to increase the passenger movement charge. In 2017 the then shadow tourism minister, Mr Anthony Albanese, said:

… the increase in the Passenger Movement Charge has real consequences for tourism and will have jobs impacts in the tourism industry, which employs a million Australians, is Australia's largest services export and has been nominated as one of Australia's five super growth sectors …

Evidently the Prime Minister has no qualms now about further increasing the charge, in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. At a time when we want to be doing everything we can to help and support our tourism, it is unfortunate that the government has chosen to increase the passenger movement charge. The passenger movement charge was last increased in 2017, and the coalition government legislated a five-year freeze on further increases. That freeze has now ended and, while the current $10 increase is consistent with the CPI over that time, I encourage the government to be cognisant of the impacts on Australia's tourism industry when considering any further increases to this charge. I'd also like to commend the important work of the men and women in the Australian Border Force in protecting our borders, which the passenger movement charge ultimately supports. The coalition will be supporting this bill without amendment.