Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Transcript – Interview with Ollie Peterson, 6PR Perth Live

Transcripts

Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia TRANSCRIPT – INTERVIEW WITH OLIVER PETERSON, 6PR MORNINGS TOPICS: Food Donation Tax Incentive Bill; Labor’s approach to charities E&OE OLIVER PETERSON: A lot of the food relief charities are looking for more help and assistance, particularly this time of year as we go into Christmas with Meals on Wheels, for example, struggling to keep up with demand due to the cost-of-living crisis. Well, something was put forward by my next guest in the Australian Parliament, a Private Senator’s Bill, which was going to offer tax offsets for expenses incurred through donations to food relief charities. It’s been rejected. WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith can tell you all. DEAN SMITH: Good afternoon to you, Ollie. OLIVER PETERSON: What did you put forward, Dean? DEAN SMITH: What I put forward, and which has been agreed to by the Coalition, is a sensible, practical idea that would provide much needed food relief to many households across our state that are suffering from cost-of-living pressures. We know that there are about 2 million, or 19 percent, of Australian households that are currently experiencing food insecurity. That’s at a time when there’s 7.6 million tonnes of food being dumped every year. So, my idea, in the form of a Private Senator’s Bill, is to provide a tax incentive so that primary producers and other producers of foodstuffs can provide that surplus food to food relief charities like FoodBank, Ozharvest, SecondBite and others, and get a tax incentive to do that. We know that there is tremendous amount of food surplus in our country, and what is stopping people from being able to provide that surplus food to food charities is the cost of doing that. So, this was a proposition that would provide, in my mind, a modest tax incentive to primary producers, our farmers, to food manufacturers, to help them shift that food surplus into food charities at a time of very critical need. So, I was hugely surprised today when it was revealed that Anthony Albanese has turned his back on what is a very sensible, practical idea, abandoned vulnerable households and made it harder for food relief charities like FoodBank and others. At a time when they’re telling me and telling many other parliamentarians that demand for their services is higher than it’s ever been. OLIVER PETERSON: Didn’t the Standing Committee on Agriculture recommend something similar to that of yours which you put forward, Senator? DEAN SMITH: Very good point. So, my Private Senator’s Bill has been contained, has been recommended in two other parliamentary inquiries. So, what we call the House Agricultural Committee, which is dominated by Labor House of Representatives members, actually endorsed this idea in one of their reports last year. The Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living, its report was released today. It’s also endorsed this idea. And then the Senate Economics Committee, the Coalition, no surprises, has endorsed the idea in the Senate Economics Committee report that was released today as well. But Labor in the report decided to turn their back on what is a very practical, sensible idea. We are approaching Christmas. Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis is going to continue for WA families into the new year and as I think you’ve said, Ollie, this is an idea that is supported by many organisations. Up to 60 significant organisations across our country. Like I said, endorsed by FoodBank, endorsed by Ozharvest, endorsed by Second Bite, endorsed by AusVeg, endorsed by the Australian Trucking Association. So, people would be very disappointed that the Government has decided to turn their back on what’s a very sensible idea. OLIVER PETERSON: So, the food relief sector is on board with that. I believe there were some concerns raised about the possibility of the major supermarkets using that tax incentive. Is, that perhaps a reason, Senator, as to why they’ve decided not to endorse it? DEAN SMITH: No, I’d say that is Labor playing politics over good policy. It has always been the intention of this Bill to make it ineligible for Woolworths and Coles and others to be able to participate in this programme. Woolworths and Coles and the big grocers have said to me, Senator Smith, we do our own programmes we don’t need this programme, and we wouldn’t participate in this programme. But to be doubly cautious, Ollie, to be doubly cautious, I’m going to amend the Bill to make sure that they are absolutely locked out of this. So, when Labor says oh, well, you know, Senator Smith is making it easier for Coles and Woolworths, that’s Labor playing politics. And I think Australians will be able to see through that. OLIVER PETERSON: Is that what it’s come down to though overall? Just the politics in it, because it’s an idea that’s come from you as opposed to them. Is that why they’re not backing it in? DEAN SMITH: I wouldn’t be surprised if they get closer to the election, perhaps Labor might put their hand up and say, actually, this is a good idea. We’re going to rebrand it. We’re going to introduce it ourselves. Now, if that happens, the winners of that will be food relief charities like FoodBank and others. And we would absolutely endorse anyone taking this idea up. It’s not even a new idea. The food relief charities have been walking the corridors of Parliament in Canberra for years. No one took any notice of them. When they came to meet me about a year ago, I thought, this is a good idea. I can’t understand why people haven’t championed it. So I turned it into a Bill and I’m going to use my energy, my sort of political effort to really push it through the Parliament, because as you know, as all of you listeners know, life has got very difficult for people, extremely difficult. More and more people are going to…

Taylor and Smith – Joint Media Release – Labor’s opportunity to improve record of competition failure

Media Releases

The Hon Angus Taylor MP – Shadow Treasurer – Member for Hume Senator Dean Smith – Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Senator for Western Australia MEDIA RELEASE 15 November 2024 LABOR’S OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE RECORD OF COMPETITION FAILURE The Albanese Government has been given the chance to finally deliver meaningful competition reform for Australian businesses and consumers – having repeatedly failed to do so. In a Senate Economics Committee report released today, the Coalition has made clear while it endorses the legislation – the Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024 – the success of the new regime hinges on Labor’s ability to successfully implement it. On that score, the Albanese Government’s record counts against it, having shown poor stewardship of complex policy matters, mismanaged the economy, and dragged its feet on key competition initiatives – including supermarket reforms, the Consumer Data Right and the News Media Bargaining Code. The Coalition stressed the need for a balanced and transparent implementation process that monitors costs, reports regularly on progress, and focuses most heavily on sectors where market concentration is problematic. It echoed the concerns of many stakeholders that the economy-wide nature of the new framework risks burdening small and medium businesses with potentially high compliance costs and red tape, neither of which they are in a position to manage – and stifling investment and innovation as a result. This regime also represents a major challenge for the ACCC, demanding considerable resources and, in many ways, a shift in direction. The Coalition noted in its comments that, while it absolutely supports the ACCC’s work in achieving better competition outcomes, future increases to funding and staff – including to deliver the mandatory reporting framework – must be justified by its success. Stakeholder concerns over implementation risks, including delays in processing merger applications and the need for constant consultation to review thresholds and other settings were reflected in the Coalition’s recommendations. These closely reflected proposals to improve implementation from the Business Council of Australia and include regular publication of KPIs to measure how the regime is performing and the establishment of an expert implementation panel. Comments attributable to Mr Taylor: “The Coalition is committed to competition reform that enhances growth, delivers real benefits for Australian consumers and businesses and, most important of all, puts the customer in charge. “The customer is the best regulator in the industry, but they can only do that if they have competition and if they have choice. That’s why a robust competition framework is essential, but it can’t become sludge and red tape. “Australians and Australian businesses have good reason to doubt this government’s ability to implement complex policy. Under Labor the price of almost everything has gone up. “The Coalition will always stand ready to work towards balanced, targeted solutions that will strengthen competition where it is most needed, supporting growth, innovation and, most of all, the prosperity and choices of all Australians.” Comments attributable to Senator Smith: “The Coalition is supporting this legislation in good faith, because we want to see competition improve in concentrated sectors of the economy like aviation and the supermarkets. “Labor must ensure that the implementation of this new regime is efficient, responsive and transparent – something it has not been able to deliver with other policy rollouts. “Stakeholders have made clear that there are risks associated with this framework if it is poorly implemented and our recommendations reflect their informed suggestions for how to mitigate those risks.” ENDS

Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury – Media Release – Labor puts politics before hungry Australians

Media Releases

SENATOR DEAN SMITH SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE 15 November 2024   LABOR PUTS POLITICS BEFORE HUNGRY AUSTRALIANS   Labor has abandoned vulnerable households and the food relief charities supporting them as Christmas fast approaches. In a Senate Economics Committee report released today, the Albanese Government signalled it would reject proposed legislation incentivising food donations and reducing waste at a time when both are desperately needed. Labor’s ongoing cost of living crisis has resulted in more than 2 million – or 19 percent – of Australian households experiencing severe food insecurity during the past year. 82 percent of those households reported increased living expenses as a contributing factor. Meanwhile, more than 7.6 million tonnes of food, most of it fit for consumption, are dumped annually because it is cheaper than donating it. The Tax Laws Amendment (Incentivising Food Donations to Charitable Organisations) Bill 2024, introduced as a Private Senator’s Bill by Senator Dean Smith, offers tax offsets for expenses incurred through donations to food relief charities. In opposing it, Labor has ignored both years of advocacy for a food donation tax incentive and the recommendations of multiple Senate inquiries – including those run by its own committees. A letter of support for the tax incentive, signed by more than 60 food industry organisations and companies, was sent to Treasurer Jim Chalmers in March 2023. That letter remains unanswered. The Labor-led House Standing Committee on Agriculture recommended a food donation tax incentive in a report a full year ago and passage of the Bill is a recommendation of the Senate Cost of Living Committee’s final report, which was released today. Labor has not only failed to act but is blocking the efforts of those trying to. The Albanese Government’s position is at odds with the overwhelming support received from stakeholders and witnesses who appeared at a Canberra public hearing into the Bill last month, during which food relief charities and industry organisations stressed the urgency of delivering the tax incentive. They observed the “game-changer” potential of the Bill, and its ability to support struggling households, charities fighting to meet demand, and farmers and other primary producers battling Labor’s cost of doing business crisis. Some enhancements to the Bill were suggested by stakeholders and experts, including the Food Relief Sector and KPMG, who observed that definitions in the Bill excluded both potential donors and charities from being able to access its benefits, and that thresholds needed to be increased to reflect the high turnover but low profits of many farmers. To address this, the Coalition recommended in the report that these enhancements be seriously considered subject to budgetary implications. Concerns were also raised about the possibility of the major supermarkets using the tax incentive, despite both Coles and Woolworths confirming in writing that they would not. Given current public expectations regarding the supermarket sector, the Coalition still recommended an amendment to the Bill specifically excluding signatories to the Mandatory Food and Grocery Code, which will include the major supermarkets. Perhaps worst of all, Labor used the report to attack the charitable organisations it continues to slap in the face – expressing a view that the Bill “preferences” large food relief charities at the expense of others. The Coalition’s final recommendation in the report was for Labor, given it had rejected this opportunity to support those in need, finally introduce its own alternative policy to boost food donations and reduce dumping. Until that happens, Australians will continue to suffer under the Albanese Government. Quotes attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “The cost-of-living crisis that Labor has failed to address has caused pain across the community, with record food insecurity one of the most visible and urgent examples.” “Labor has shown its true colours in this report, revealing just how little it cares for Australian charities and the millions of people they are trying to feed.” “The Government has failed to act and now it blocks others from doing so, and it needs to explain to 2 million hungry Australians why it puts politics ahead of helping them.” ENDS