Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister seriously going to let the parliament rise for the year without fixing the mess of the backpacker tax?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The real issue here is the integrity and the character of the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition a moment ago stood up in the House and said, 'The President of the National Farmers Federation has called on the government to adopt Labor's position on the backpacker tax.' In fact, the NFF have tweeted and continued to say through the day on Twitter, 'We continue to support 15 per cent as the best policy outcome.' They have urged the Labor Party and all of the others in the Senate to support the 15 per cent outcome. So what the Leader of the Opposition did was, knowing full well—

Ms Collins interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Franklin will leave under standing order 94(a). You have been warned twice.

The member for Franklin then left the chamber.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The course of compromise, the responsibility for resolving this matter, falls on all senators and all members, but particularly it falls on those of us in government and those who seek to be in government, such as the Leader of the Opposition. We have compromised from our position of 19 per cent to 15 per cent. We secured the support of the National Farmers Federation. As they have been saying consistently, they call on other parties to support that sensible position. What the Leader of the Opposition did was misstate the position of the National Farmers Federation in the House today.