In Australia, the Labor party has refused to immediately pass the new version of the backpacker tax. On October 11, the Labor caucus decided to delay the passage of the bills that would have resolved the working holiday- maker tax which the federal government recently revised to be set at 19 per cent instead of the 32.5pc proposed earlier this year.
Labor has referred the bills to a Senate economics committee for review. It will finalise its position on November 7, following the committee's report.
Labor shadow minister for agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, said the referral is standard process for most legislation.
But one of the first to pipe up about the delay was the National Farmers Federation (NFF) which said Labor had "again failed to reveal its position on the tax".
NFF president, Brent Finlay, said the agriculture sector was outraged at the decision to unreasonably prolong uncertainty and distress currently felt by farmers across Australia.
“As we have said time and time again, the backpacker tax threatens to divert away more than a quarter of the agricultural workforce. It needs to be fixed, and it needs to be fixed now,” Mr Finlay said.
“Farmers can’t wait until the end of the year, or even next year, for a resolution of the issue. Every day of delay means fewer working holiday makers in rural Australia and fewer crops in the ground."
Labor shadow minister for agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, accused the government of rushing the bills through parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister and agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, called on the Opposition to get behind the cuts to the proposed backpacker tax rate to provide certainty for stakeholders.
WAFarmers condemned the Labor government's delay on passing the bills.
WAFarmers CEO, Stephen Brown, said farming groups had campaigned tirelessly to highlight how the introduction of the backpacker tax would not only harm the agricultural industry, but also tourism and rural and regional businesses.
NSW Nationals member for Calare, Andrew Gee, expressed dismay at Labor’s move.
“Our local orchardists have made it very clear that the tax hike on backpackers has to go before the harvest and I’m shocked that Labor is trying to either delay the repeal or kill it through a Senate inquiry,” Mr Gee said.
