Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have here two letters. The first was sent to Treasurer Chalmers last year and calls for the introduction of a food donation tax incentive to boost donations to food relief charities and to end the wasteful dumping of good food. The letter is signed by more than 60 organisations, but the Albanese government is yet to respond to it.

I received a second letter yesterday, addressed to me, which confirms that the Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul Society, Anglicare Australia and UnitingCare Australia are adding their names to Foodbank, OzHarvest and SecondBite in support of my private senator's bill that will provide a tax incentive to encourage food donations to food relief organisations now, at a time when they need it the most. But Labor chooses to turn its back on the needs of Australian households who are suffering from food insecurity and on the calls for greater assistance from Australia's food relief charities.

But, more than that, Labor chooses to turn its back on its own Labor members of parliament. The House Standing Committee on Agriculture last year recommended that a tax incentive for food donations, like the one that I have introduced to the parliament in my private senator's bill, should be supported. So why do Dr Jim Chalmers, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the assistant minister for charities, Dr Leigh, ignore the calls of important food charities and charitable organisations and even their own backbench members of parliament? Now is the time to act.