Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox grilled the Federal Government in last week’s Question Time for “grossly misunderstanding their own policy” in its inadvertent targeting of farmers.
Mr Willcox is hitting back at suggestions that only “fat cats” would be affected by the Federal Government’s decision to double the tax rate from 15 to 30 per cent for earnings in $3 million-plus super funds and warned that “the small end of town” would suffer because of good faith decisions to put their farms and businesses premises in their super funds.
Mr Willcox asked the Assistant Treasurer whether the Superannuation changes would be just “another unfair new tax on family farms and family businesses” -- the Assistant Minister was unable to answer the question directly.
“Unfortunately, this is what we are seeing under this new Government […] weaselling out of questions so they don’t have to front up to ordinary Australians,” Mr Willcox said.
Peak farming bodies have raised similar concerns, such as the National Farmers Federation, who explained how the announcement “throws up significant uncertainty for family farms -- with scant detail on things like grandfathering, treatment of revaluations, or how this might impact lending in a climate of rising costs and interest rates.”
The Dawson MP, once a tomato farmer himself in the Whitsunday town of Bowen, made it clear last week that he will keep shining a light on this “poor policymaking” and “city-centric approach” to government.
“I’m just appalled,” Mr Willcox said.
“Time and time again we are seeing that the Albanese Government do not consider Rural and Regional Australians when making their policy decisions.”
“I will keep listening to our hard working rural and regional men and women that keep this country moving.
“Labor need to be held accountable for hurting those who feed our country.”
