A decision by the Rudd Government to massively increase the tax on food exports will put hundreds of North Coast jobs under severe threat, according to North Coast Nationals Senator Fiona Nash.
The Rudd Government had decided that from 1 July 2009, food exporters will have to pay the full cost of Australian Quarantine inspections,” Senator Nash said.
“Under rules set by the previous Coalition Government, food export industries paid 60 per cent of inspection fees, under Labor they will now have to pay the full 100 per cent – charges which their overseas competitors do not have to pay.”
“In addition Labor is set to increase the fees, in some cases by more than 1000 per cent.”
“This threatens the viability of the fishing, horticultural, and beef industries on the North Coast – and that means more Rudd job losses,” Senator Nash said.
“The stone fruit growers on the North Coast are still reeling from last September’s hail storms. Their exports prices are fixed by the Sydney market so they won’t be able to pass on Rudd’s tax hike.”
“Macadamias growers export 70 per cent of their $100 million annual crop. Prices have dropped by half in last two years, so the last thing they need is a Labor tax slug.”
“The Nationals will fight tooth and nail in the Federal Parliament against these tax hikes.”
“After all, Labor has dished out $6.2 billion to the city-based car industry.”
“But in regional Australia, the beef industry alone employs the same number of people (50,000) and earns three times as much in export, yet it gets slugged with a new tax equivalent to $5 a head,” Senator Nash concluded.
Suggested North Coast Industry contact: Australian Macadamias CEO, Mr Jolyon Burnett, tel (02) 6622 4930, exec@macadamias.org
Contact: Murray Lees, media adviser, 0417 406 338
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