{"id":165046,"date":"2016-12-01T22:10:40","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T12:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=165046"},"modified":"2020-09-30T11:31:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T01:31:11","slug":"senate-okays-backpacker-tax-at-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/12\/01\/senate-okays-backpacker-tax-at-last\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Okays Backpacker Tax … At Last"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale (Photo: The Greens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 1, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Federal Government’s controversial “backpacker tax” has finally been passed by the Senate … on the third attempt.<\/p>\n

The Greens agreed to support a 15 per cent tax rate in exchange for concessions from the government, including an extra $100 million for Landcare.<\/p>\n

The government has also agreed to tax just 65 per cent of backpackers’ superannuation, down from the 95 per cent it had planned.<\/p>\n

The Senate approved the motion 43-19 on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

Three of the four Pauline Hanson’s One Nation senators also voted for the deal, as did members of the Nick Xenophon team and Liberal Democrat\u00a0David Leyonhjelm.<\/p>\n

Labor Senators voted against; the ALP said earlier it would support a 13 per cent rate, up from its previous position of 10.5 per cent.<\/p>\n

Greens leader\u00a0Richard Di Natale said the vote – which has ended months of uncertainty for backpackers as well as farmers – was a “common sense victory”.<\/p>\n

If the lower tax rate had not been approved on Thursday, the year’s final Parliamentary sitting day, the higher 32.5 per cent tax rate – which had been slammed by farmers, the tourism industry and regional businesses – would have automatically kicked in on January 1.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Queensland Farmers\u2019 Federation president Stuart Armitage welcomed the last-minute resolution of the saga.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire backpacker tax episode will be remembered as a disappointing chapter in Australian politics where farmers were used as pawns in an unnecessary, highly politicised power struggle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cQFF is satisfied that the 15 per cent tax rate restores Australia\u2019s competitiveness as a destination for backpackers.<\/p>\n

\u201cQueensland farmers finally have the certainty we have been calling for and deserve.”<\/p>\n

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