edited
14 days ago
Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies Bill 2024 - Second Reading - Agree with the bill's main idea
Passed by a small majority
No rebellions 93% attendance
27th Mar 2024, 11:19 AM – Representatives Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies Bill 2024; Report from Federation Chamber
Summary
EditThe majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). The amendment was introduced by Maranoa MP David Littleproud (National).
Amendment text
That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
“the House declines to give the bill a second reading as it :
(1) criticises the Government for attempting to impose this new tax on Australian farmers and the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector, right in the middle of a cost-of living and workforce shortage crisis;
(2) notes its alarm that the proposed Biosecurity Protection Levy will push up the costs of fresh food for Australian families, at a time when they can afford it least;
(3) expresses its profound concern that under the terms of the Biosecurity Protection Levy, Australian farmers will be forced to pay for the biosecurity risks of their international competitors to bring their products into this country;
(4) criticises the Government for the ongoing mismanagement, confusion and lack of detail which has characterised the Biosecurity Protection Levy since its initial announcement in the May 2023 Budget, and the subsequent restructure that was announced in February 2024;
(5) recognises that the proposed Biosecurity Protection Levy is widely and strongly opposed by farmers, producers, stakeholders, and industry groups across the agriculture sector; and
(6) calls on the Government to ensure a sustainable funding model for biosecurity by progressing and establishing an importer container levy, as recommended by the independent Craik review ”.
Declining to give the bill a second reading is parliamentary jargon for rejecting the bill so that it will not be considered further.
What is the bill's main idea
According to the bills digest, the bill was introduced with the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Charges Bill 2024 (Charges Bill) and the Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies and Charges Collection Bill 2024 (Collection Bill). Together, they:
impose new agricultural biosecurity protection levies and charges (BPL) which will be payable by certain producers of agricultural, forestry and fisheries products within Australia; and to authorise their collection to help fund the costs of biosecurity activities at the border to prevent pest and disease incursions into Australia.
The Agriculture (Biosecurity Protection) Levies Bill 2024 "deals with the imposition of a new set of biosecurity protection levies that are duties of excise, and for related purposes."
Votes Not passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (75% turnout) | 0 Yes – 3 No | |
| Adam Bandt Melbourne | No | |
| Max Chandler-Mather Griffith | No | |
| Elizabeth Watson-Brown Ryan | No | |
| Stephen Bates Brisbane | Absent | |
| Australian Labor Party (96% turnout) | 0 Yes – 74 No | |
| Anthony Albanese Grayndler | No | |
| Anne Aly Cowan | No | |
| Michelle Ananda-Rajah Higgins | No | |
| Jodie Belyea Dunkley | No | |
| Chris Bowen McMahon | No | |
| Tony Burke Watson | No | |
| Matt Burnell Spence | No | |
| Linda Burney Barton | No | |
| Josh Burns Macnamara | No | |
| Mark Butler Hindmarsh | No | |
| Alison Byrnes Cunningham | No | |
| Jim Chalmers Rankin | No | |
| Andrew Charlton Parramatta | No | |
| Lisa Chesters Bendigo | No | |
| Jason Clare Blaxland | No | |
| Sharon Claydon Newcastle | No | |
| Libby Coker Corangamite | No | |
| Julie Collins Franklin | No | |
| Pat Conroy Shortland | No | |
| Mary Doyle Aston | No | |
| Mark Dreyfus Isaacs | No | |
| Justine Elliot Richmond | No | |
| Cassandra Fernando Holt | No | |
| Mike Freelander Macarthur | No | |
| Carina Garland Chisholm | No | |
| Steve Georganas Adelaide | No | |
| Andrew Giles Scullin | No | |
| Patrick Gorman Perth | No | |
| Luke Gosling Solomon | No | |
| Ed Husic Chifley | No | |
| Ged Kearney Cooper | No | |
| Matt Keogh Burt | No | |
| Peter Khalil Wills | No | |
| Catherine King Ballarat | No | |
| Madeleine King Brand | No | |
| Tania Lawrence Hasluck | No | |
| Jerome Laxale Bennelong | No | |
| Andrew Leigh Fenner | No | |
| Sam Lim Tangney | No | |
| Richard Marles Corio | No | |
| Zaneta Mascarenhas Swan | No | |
| Kristy McBain Eden-Monaro | No | |
| Emma McBride Dobell | No | |
| Louise Miller-Frost Boothby | No | |
| Brian Mitchell Lyons | No | |
| Rob Mitchell McEwen | No | |
| Daniel Mulino Fraser | No | |
| Shayne Neumann Blair | No | |
| Brendan O'Connor Gorton | No | |
| Clare O'Neil Hotham | No | |
| Alicia Payne Canberra | No | |
| Graham Perrett Moreton | No | |
| Fiona Phillips Gilmore | No | |
| Tanya Plibersek Sydney | No | |
| Sam Rae Hawke | No | |
| Gordon Reid Robertson | No | |
| Dan Repacholi Hunter | No | |
| Amanda Rishworth Kingston | No | |
| Tracey Roberts Pearce | No | |
| Michelle Rowland Greenway | No | |
| Joanne Ryan Lalor | No | |
| Marion Scrymgour Lingiari | No | |
| Bill Shorten Maribyrnong | No | |
| Sally Sitou Reid | No | |
| David Smith Bean | No | |
| Anne Stanley Werriwa | No | |
| Meryl Swanson Paterson | No | |
| Susan Templeman Macquarie | No | |
| Matt Thistlethwaite Kingsford Smith | No | |
| Kate Thwaites Jagajaga | No | |
| Tim Watts Gellibrand | No | |
| Anika Wells Lilley | No | |
| Josh Wilson Fremantle | No | |
| Tony Zappia Makin | No | |
| Julian Hill Bruce | Absent | |
| Stephen Jones Whitlam | Absent | |
| Maria Vamvakinou Calwell | Absent | |
| Rebekha Sharkie Mayo Centre Alliance | Yes | |
| Mark Coulton Parkes Deputy Speaker | Yes | |
| Russell Broadbent Monash Independent | Yes | |
| Zoe Daniel Goldstein Independent | Yes | |
| Andrew Gee Calare Independent | Yes | |
| Helen Haines Indi Independent | Yes | |
| Monique Ryan Kooyong Independent | Yes | |
| Sophie Scamps Mackellar Independent | Yes | |
| Allegra Spender Wentworth Independent | Yes | |
| Zali Steggall Warringah Independent | Yes | |
| Kylea Tink North Sydney Independent | Yes | |
| Andrew Wilkie Clark Independent | Yes | |
| Kate Chaney Curtin Independent | Absent | |
| Dai Le Fowler Independent | Absent | |
| Bob Katter Kennedy Katter's Australian Party | Yes | |
| Liberal National Party (100% turnout) | 9 Yes – 0 No | |
| Angie Bell Moncrieff | Yes | |
| Colin Boyce Flynn | Yes | |
| Cameron Caldwell Fadden | Yes | |
| Garth Hamilton Groom | Yes | |
| Henry Pike Bowman | Yes | |
| Phillip Thompson Herbert | Yes | |
| Andrew Wallace Fisher | Yes | |
| Andrew Willcox Dawson | Yes | |
| Terry Young Longman | Yes | |
| Liberal Party (88% turnout) | 28 Yes – 0 No | |
| Bridget Archer Bass | Yes | |
| Scott Buchholz Wright | Yes | |
| David Coleman Banks | Yes | |
| Peter Dutton Dickson | Yes | |
| Paul Fletcher Bradfield | Yes | |
| Ian Goodenough Moore | Yes | |
| Andrew Hastie Canning | Yes | |
| Alex Hawke Mitchell | Yes | |
| Luke Howarth Petrie | Yes | |
| Julian Leeser Berowra | Yes | |
| Nola Marino Forrest | Yes | |
| Melissa McIntosh Lindsay | Yes | |
| Zoe McKenzie Flinders | Yes | |
| Ted O'Brien Fairfax | Yes | |
| Gavin Pearce Braddon | Yes | |
| Melissa Price Durack | Yes | |
| Rowan Ramsey Grey | Yes | |
| James Stevens Sturt | Yes | |
| Michael Sukkar Deakin | Yes | |
| Angus Taylor Hume | Yes | |
| Dan Tehan Wannon | Yes | |
| Bert Van Manen Forde | Yes | |
| Ross Vasta Bonner | Yes | |
| Aaron Violi Casey | Yes | |
| Jenny Ware Hughes | Yes | |
| Rick Wilson O'Connor | Yes | |
| Keith Wolahan Menzies | Yes | |
| Jason Wood La Trobe | Yes | |
| Karen Andrews McPherson | Absent | |
| Warren Entsch Leichhardt | Absent | |
| Sussan Ley Farrer | Absent | |
| Tony Pasin Barker | Absent | |
| National Party (100% turnout) | 12 Yes – 0 No | |
| Sam Birrell Nicholls | Yes | |
| Darren Chester Gippsland | Yes | |
| Pat Conaghan Cowper | Yes | |
| David Gillespie Lyne | Yes | |
| Kevin Hogan Page | Yes | |
| Barnaby Joyce New England | Yes | |
| Michelle Landry Capricornia | Yes | |
| David Littleproud Maranoa | Yes | |
| Michael McCormack Riverina | Yes | |
| Llew O'Brien Wide Bay | Yes | |
| Keith Pitt Hinkler | Yes | |
| Anne Webster Mallee | Yes | |
| Milton Dick Oxley Speaker | Absent | |
| Totals (93% turnout) | 62 Yes – 77 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.