Western Victoria Region
Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (13:48): (168) My question is for the Minister for Agriculture and concerns the direct and damaging impact of the federal budget on farmers in my electorate of Western Victoria Region. Minister, all of us accept that biosecurity is vital to primary producers, but what the announced levy does is make Australian farmers pay for their international competitors to bring their produce to Australia – and to make money while they are doing it. $153 million will be charged to domestic producers, not the people actually importing the threats. It is outrageous, and there is an alternative. The independent Craik biosecurity review proposed an importer container levy. My question to the minister is: what representations have you made to your Labor colleagues in Canberra to propose an alternative to this unfair new farmer tax?