Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. During Labor's first term, we saw the debacle of the government's attempts to impose a biosecurity protection levy which would have forced Australian farmers to pay for the biosecurity risks of their foreign competitors. Will the minister rule out taxing farmers more in order to fund our nation's biosecurity system?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first part of the question was a little out of order because he wasn't the minister responsible at that time. But the end part of the question—yes. The minister's not directly responsible, as I understand it, for that. But I'm going to allow the question.

Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for the question. What I can rule in is the government's tax policies. What I can rule in is tax cuts for all Australian taxpayers. What I can not just rule in but say has been passed is the HECS reduction. I can rule in the fact that we've frozen beer excises and I can rule in the fact that I'll continue working for lower taxes for Australians every day.