Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the most exciting events in my electorate is at the Rocklea markets, where they have the first mango of the season. People come along and bid for the first carton of mangoes. It is a very exciting event, with the proceeds going to charity. Sadly, we have had a suggestion from the policy scouts opposite that they are going to bring in a GST that would apply to those mangoes, that would apply to the bananas sold there, that would apply to the apples, that would apply even to brussels sprouts and make them even more difficult to go down.

We know that there is a diabetes tsunami heading towards Australia. Why a sensible government would put a GST on fresh food and vegetables is beyond me. We know that the NATSEM modelling has showed that GST would particularly hit the low- and middle-income earners—an attack on Australia's middle class and those who are doing it tough, the people who are still just recovering from that horrific train wreck of a budget delivered by former Treasurer Joe Hockey back in 2014. But that cruel platform from the 2014 budget is what the current Prime Minister and the acting Prime Minister have based their current policies on.

This GST on fresh fruit and vegetables would be a tragedy for the low- and middle-income Australians, and they should avoid it at all costs.