Our Say
THE Labor Party has once again demonstrated it has no regard for regional Australia and agricultural producers by delaying changes to the controversial backpacker tax in the Senate.
Its idiotic stance – demanding further review of a tax which has already been reviewed three times – comes as Granite Belt horticulturalists prepare for one of their peak times of the year.
They have enough going on without having to stress over changes to the tax being delayed until well into November, with the tax due to take effect on 1 January.
The Coalition sensibly listened to the opinions of producers and committed to reducing the tax from 32.5 per cent to 19 per cent, which was a reasonable middle-ground position.
At 32.5 per cent the tax would have virtually wiped out the seasonal workforce made up of overseas travellers, without which many harvests would simply be unviable financially for growers.
Once again we see the damage being done by politicians primarily representing major urban locations who don’t care and don’t want to know about the issues affecting regional Australia.
Horticulture is worth more than $300 million to the Granite Belt and Labor’s stance places this directly in jeopardy.
Keep an eye out for updates on developments on the backpacker tax in the Free Times online and in print every Thursday.
– Jeremy Sollars
