2016-11-24
Greens Treasury spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson welcomes the passage of the amended backpacker tax at a lower tax rate of 10.5% through the Senate today. He calls upon National Party backbenchers to take a stand for their communities and cross the floor next week to support the lower rate.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “It’s a simple test for the Nats next week. Do they want to maintain Australia’s competitive advantage when it comes to agricultural production or not?
“If only two Nats cross the floor then we can sort this out once and for all and give farmers the certainty they are demanding. Some Nats were fine to cross the floor to try to overturn a gun ban, let's see if they will do it on this.
“If there were any Tasmanian Liberal lower house MPs left I would be calling for them to cross the floor too. In fact, I don’t recall any of the Tasmanian Liberal Senators speaking on the Bill at all.
“If this Bill is not resolved in the House, then the Government will have to decide whether they are going to get the ATO to audit the residency status of 130,000 backpackers that work here,” he concluded.
Media ReleaseTreasuryAgriculture and Rural Affairs