Labor’s fresh food tax and the damage it will cause, by driving up the cost-of-living and making groceries more expensive, will be investigated by a Senate committee today.
Michelle Landry MP said the fresh food tax, which is due to be implemented on July 1, is as an attack on families and farmers in Capricornia.
Ms Landry said the biosecurity protection levy will force farmers to pay for the biosecurity risks of international importers.
“This Senate inquiry and its outcome is crucial because this new tax will impact almost every single family and the 1,714 farmers and farm managers in Capricornia,” Ms Landry said.
“The new tax makes absolutely no sense. It will hurt families in Capricornia at a time they can least afford it and farmers who are already under pressure.
“Farmers will be forced to pass on costs, meaning families will feel more pain at the grocery checkout. In what parallel universe would a government charge its own farmers to pay for the risks their competitors are creating?”
Michelle Landry MP said every family and farmer deserved to feel angry that the fresh food tax had already been passed in the House of Representatives.
“The Nationals will continue to fight this senseless new tax. We will fight for families and we will fight for farmers, especially when it comes to taxes that impact food prices.”
Local grazier, Nicholas Holland said farmers are already battling significant challenges without another layer of bureaucracy hitting their bottom line.
“This Fresh Food Tax is unfair to Australian farmers. Why should we be forced to pay for the biosecurity of international competitors?
“The levy will add another layer of pressure to our already tight margins, which inevitably will force the producer to pass the cost onto consumers,” Mr Holland said.
