General News
15 May, 2024
Food tax
MEMBER for Wannon Dan Tehan is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian farmers to fight Labor’s fresh food tax.
A new petition, Stop the Fresh Food Tax, https://www.stopthefreshfoodtax.com/#action, was launched by the Coalition last week, alongside industry’s ‘day of action’ to scrap the tax.
Mr Tehan is urging local farmers and families to get behind the campaign and sign the petition to stop Labor’s new fresh food tax.
“The Coalition proudly stood with the National Farmers’ Federation on May 8 and supported our farmers on their day of action to scrap the tax,” he said.
“We urge families and farmers in Wannon to join us in this fight and to sign the petition to stop Labor’s fresh food tax. This new tax will hurt almost all Australians because farmers will be forced to pass on costs, meaning families will feel more pain at the grocery checkout.
“Labor has continued to ignore our pleas to stop this senseless new tax. We still don’t know how the tax will be collected or managed. But we do know the tax will go towards consolidated revenue, hurting 6588 farmers and farm managers in the electorate of Wannon.
“Sadly, time is now running out to scrap Labor’s fresh food tax, which is due to be implemented on July 1, forcing farmers to pay for the biosecurity risks of their international importers.”
Mr Tehan said the new tax “makes absolutely no sense” and it will hurt families and farmers who are already under pressure.
“In what parallel universe would a government charge its own farmers to pay for the risks their competitors are creating?”
A Senate inquiry into the levy is expected to hand down its report on Friday, ahead of an upcoming crucial Senate vote, with 84 agricultural commodities set to be taxed to raise $150 million.