Safeguard Mechanism Not Safe For Farmers

Labor’s Safeguard Mechanism is the newly announced tax on carbon, and will impact the livelihoods of our resource workers, regional communities, and now our farmers, the Federal Member for Dawson has warned.

The new Safeguard Mechanism, A.K.A Carbon Tax 2.0, is a Labor policy that will penalise the 215 largest emitters in Australia for carbon emissions over a baseline … many of whom employ workers from the Dawson region.

“Set to take effect on the first of July 2023, Labor’s Safeguard Mechanism is yet another attack on the industries that keep our lights on, our cars running, and food on the table.”, Mr Willcox said.

“Because of the Carbon Tax, industry is now forced to rip back productivity, or offset their emissions to stay under the baseline on paper.

“They’ll be forced to buy up productive farmland in a desperate search to tick Labor’s box.

“And on top of all of this are our mum and dad farms, who are set to be used as that ‘offset’.

“This is going to lock up prime agricultural land, and price the next generation out of farming.

“This is exactly why the Coalition’s policy was centred around technology, not taxes.”

The National Farmer’s Federation, a peak farming body, has expressed its concerns also, specifically how “turbo-charged” demand for offsets will mean farmland is in the firing line.

“The safeguard mechanism will turbo charge demand for offsets, and with few other options on the table, emitters will look to farmland,” National Farmers Federation Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar explained.

Farmers for Climate Action, a farming group dedicated to backing progressive climate change efforts, has also opposed the Carbon Tax for the same reason.

Dawson MP Andrew Willcox is frustrated at the Government’s incompetence when developing policy.

“Labor can’t land one policy right. They haven’t thought any of this through. It’s either they don’t know, they don’t care, or don’t value our farmers […] and none of those are good options.

“Labor thinks that if they beat industry and farmers over the head with a stick, they’ll get a good result.

“If they’re not careful, the industries that create Australia’s wealth will soon pack up leave, because it’s just too hard to operate here.”