House debates Motions

Taxation

Thursday, 1 December 2016 House of Representatives

Chris Bowen

Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer

9:38 am

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) in the Budget, the Government blindsided rural and regional Australia with an internationally uncompetitive 32.5 per cent backpacker tax;

(b) the Government dropped the rate of the backpacker tax to a still uncompetitive rate of 19 per cent;

(c) the Government again shifted the rate of the backpacker tax to 15 per cent because of a desperate deal in the Senate;

(d) the Government's desperate deal was rejected by the Senate which instead proposed a compromise of 10.5 per cent;

(e) the Government has refused to accept the Senate's sensible compromise, threatening to allow the backpacker tax to revert to its original internationally uncompetitive rate of 32.5 per cent which will harm the tourism, hospitality and agricultural industries; and

(f) only this morning, the Minister for Finance said "The deal that is on the table for the Senate is a 15 per cent rate; if it's not 15 per cent then it will be 32.5 per cent";

(2) calls on the Government to end the chaos and deal with the backpacker tax immediately by accepting the sensible compromise offered by the Senate; and

(3) therefore, suspends so much of the standing and sessional orders as would prevent order of the day No. 3 relating to the Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016 being called on immediately.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the member for McMahon from moving the following motion forthwith.

That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) in the Budget, the Government blindsided rural and regional Australia with an internationally uncompetitive 32.5 per cent backpacker tax;

(b) the Government dropped the rate of the backpacker tax to a still uncompetitive rate of 19 per cent;

(c) the Government again shifted the rate of the backpacker tax to 15 per cent because of a desperate deal in the Senate;

(d) the Government's desperate deal was rejected by the Senate which instead proposed a compromise of 10.5 per cent;

(e) the Government has refused to accept the Senate's sensible compromise, threatening to allow the backpacker tax to revert to its original internationally uncompetitive rate of 32.5 per cent which will harm the tourism, hospitality and agricultural industries; and

(f) only this morning, the Minister for Finance said "The deal that is on the table for the Senate is a 15 per cent rate; if it's not 15 per cent then it will be 32.5 per cent";

(2) calls on the Government to end the chaos and deal with the backpacker tax immediately by accepting the sensible compromise offered by the Senate; and

(3) therefore, suspends so much of the standing and sessional orders as would prevent order of the day No. 3 relating to the Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016 being called on immediately.

Christopher Pyne

Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House

9:40 am

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the member for McMahon be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

9:49 am

Is the motion seconded?

Joel Fitzgibbon

Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture

I second the motion. This is Barnaby Joyce's—

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The Leader of the House?

Christopher Pyne

Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the member for Hunter be no longer heard.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport

9:51 am

Mr Speaker, this is a chaotic—

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I call the Leader of the House.

Christopher Pyne

Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House

I move:

That the question be now put.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

The question is that the motion be put.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

9:54 am

The question now is that the motion moved by the member for McMahon be agreed to.

Tony Smith

Tony Smith Speaker

9:59 am

I just want to give members a reminder that they need to take their seats for a division and, once I have appointed the tellers, to not be moving seats. I am just going to give that reminder on the last day.