17 May 2016
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has labeled today’s announcement by the Coalition Government about the backpacker tax as simply not good enough.
QFF CEO Ruth described the announcement by Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer of a deferral of measures due to commence on 1st July 2016 pending a full review as a long way short of not introducing this new tax.
“This announcement will not provide the certainly agricultural and tourism operators have been calling for and is out of touch with the needs of our industries and regional communities.”
“The government has ignored the farming and tourism sectors, the will of 50,000 petitioners and the recommendations from their own internal review in which our sector participated with in good faith.”
“The Federal Government’s inaction on the Backpacker Tax has made this an election issue and QFF and its member industries will continue its campaign in opposition to this damaging new tax.”
“It’s now time that the Labor Party also clarify their position on whether they would implement this new tax. The Backpacker tax will continue to be an election issue until we have certainly that it will not be introduced.”
“Backpackers are an essential component of our labour force and any policy determination that reduces access to backpacker labour has serious consequences for our industry.”
“Backpackers contribute more than $3.5 billion to the economy each year as some 40,000 workers come to regional areas to work on farms.”
“The Federal government continues to show poor judgement by postponing a decision on whether to implement this tax and this delay will undermine future labour resource planning for the cotton, fruit and vegetable industries in Queensland.”
“We cannot allow the current lose-lose-lose situation where the backpackers stop coming, the growers and farmers are affected and the local rural economies are put in unnecessary jeopardy.”
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation is the united voice of intensive agriculture in Queensland. It is a federation that represents the interests of 17 of Queensland’s peak rural industry organisations, which in turn collectively represent more than 13,000 primary producers across Queensland.
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