They¹re selling out regional aussies

Hello Joel Fitzgibbon's office,

We absolutely agree with your email on the Turnbull government's ridiculous illogical backpacker tax. On the topic of regional Australia, however, the ALP should look at its own wasteful pork-barrell policy in the Bass electorate. In relation to the idea of a relocation of the University of Tasmania's current Launceston campus to Inveresk - just a couple of kilometres down the road to a tidal flat, not just to a flood plain but to an area that lies below high tide level - Labor, like the Turnbull government, and interestingly the Greens, has not carried its own due diligence in relation to this waste of taxpayers' and ratepayers' money. Instead, Labor has taken the university's claims as  if they are true and honest, without any independent, indepth scrutiny or any consideration of public and regional concerns. Until such time as the ALP conducts genuine research and listens to the regional public on this university relocation plan and fully assesses the sensible alternatives, then we will not be donating to the ALP or
any party that supports the wasteful and illogical relocation plan.

Yours faithfully,
Poppy, L. McKenzie, Tim, Margaret and six others.

CC in addition to the above - Launceston Concerned Citizens, Tasmanian
Ratepayers Association, SpeakUp Launceston, Launceston Businesses,
Academics, Associates and Friends (LBAAF).


On 2016-11-12 14:37, Joel Fitzgibbon wrote:
Poppy, Aussie farmers are the lifeblood of regional Australia – they’re the ones creating jobs and keeping our regions growing.  But the Turnbull-Nationals Government is selling out our farmers by increasing taxes on backpackers to as high as 32... | The latest politics update from the Australian Labor Party |
Poppy, ...........  Aussie farmers are the lifeblood of regional Australia – they’re the ones creating jobs and keeping our regions growing............ BUT THE TURNBULL-NATIONALS GOVERNMENT IS SELLING OUT OUR FARMERS BY  INCREASING TAXES ON BACKPACKERS TO AS HIGH AS 32.5 PER CENT............  This means that farmers won’t be able to get enough pickers to harvest crops and our regional towns will see less tourists. That means less money to go around for everyone............ WHY ARE MALCOLM TURNBULL AND BARNABY JOYCE SELLING OUT OUR FARMERS? TO FUND THEIR MASSIVE $50 BILLION TAX CUT FOR BIG BUSINESS............ We’ve already seen the number of backpackers coming to Australia fall over the last year and a half, because of the uncertainty the Liberal-National have created with their backpacker tax............ Labor knows how important our farmers and regional towns are to Australia. That’s why we’ve come up with a sensible compromise: a lower 10.5 per cent tax. This will bring the backpacker tax into line with New Zealand, while ensuring overseas workers still pay more tax than Aussie workers............ Despite Labor offering a compromise, Turnbull and Joyce aren’t  listening to reason and WE NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT AUSSIES LIKE YOU WANT A FAIR DEAL FOR OUR FARMERS............  CAN YOU SHARE THIS GRAPHIC ON FACEBOOK AND TELL THE GOVERNMENT THAT YOU WANT THEM TO STICK UP FOR FARMERS? [2][3] The last thing our Government should be doing is selling out regional Australians just to give the big businesses a $50 billion tax break............  Let’s show Turnbull and Joyce that we want them to stick up for Aussie farmers and accept Labor’s sensible compromise on the backpacker tax.

 Thanks, Joel Fitzgibbon ........... Shadow Minister for Rural and Regional Australia