Carbon offset tax breaks will sink Australian farmers

“Irresponsible tax breaks that allow big business to buy Australia’s best agriculture land for carbon offset forests will make life even more difficult for Australian farmers,” Nationals Senator for New South Wales Fiona Nash said today. Senator Nash today joined her Nationals’ Senate colleagues Barnaby Joyce, Ron Boswell and John Williams and supported an Australian Greens disallowance motion to oppose the Rudd Government’s push to give big business and managed investment schemes a carbon sink tax break to plant trees. “The Rudd Labor Government wants to subsidise the big bucks of big business so they can plant carbon sink forests” Senator Nash said. “Why should big business get a carbon offset tax break for planting trees, when Australian farmers who grow the food we eat get nothing. It makes no sense. It doesn’t pass the pub test.” Carbon sink forests, while on one hand good for the environment, do little to contribute to the economic livelihood of regional and rural farming communities. “Carbon offset tax breaks will see big business drive up the price of farming land in regional and rural Australia as they seek to secure the best land that offers the best return to grow the biggest trees.” “Big business will contribute to rural community social dislocation, as the allure of the almighty dollar tempts some farmers to give up their land. Farmers are already doing it tough, and now the Rudd Labor Government wants them to do it tougher. “If there is going to be competition for prime agricultural land we need a level playing field. A tax break for trees and not one for food security makes no sense,” Senator Nash said. Media contact: Anita Cakalic 0409 489 751

Source:

Post Comment

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Enter the code shown above in the box below

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail