Federal Member for Wright, Scott Buchholz has slammed Labor’s new legislation on a new biosecurity tax which was introduced in Parliament this week, in a move that will increase the cost of living for local families and hit local growers with a new tax.
Scott Buchholz said, speaking in Federal Parliament this week that Labor’s new biosecurity tax will charge farmers for the biosecurity costs of big foreign importers bringing their product to Australia.
“This is a tax that is not deserved by a primary industry sector that serves our nation professionally, with integrity, and adopts new technologies in a very sophisticated way to give them global competitiveness”.
“This is an industry that deserves the support of government. This is not an industry that deserves to be treated like this by a government that hasn’t consulted”.
“I cannot fathom why the government would design a tax to advance an international competitor coming into our market when the same position for us when exporting commodities into other markets is a cost that we bear internally. It’s a disgrace.”
Mr Buchholz said he has spoken with a number of local growers who would be hit by Labor’s new Biosecurity Tax.
“These local growers, without prompting, raised this piece of legislation as a catastrophic concern for them moving forward”.
“This new biosecurity tax has united peak bodies, from the National Farmers Federation, to AUSVEG, and everyone in between. There is not one peak body out there which is supporting the government’s position on this obscure tax”.
“Why would we disadvantage our local growers and give a competitive advantage to those who are importing products into this country, in an environment which is already crippling local growers?”.
“Any additional costs inflicted on my growers will be passed on to my consumers who are already doing it tough. The Government should rethink this shambolic new tax”.
ENDS
Hon. Scott Buchholz MP speaks during 90 second statements
