Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman says the federal debate over a backpacker tax was redundant because robots will take their jobs soon anyway.

Mr Newman, who is now involved in an agriculture robotics company, was speaking at an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce event on the "rise of the machines" on Thursday night.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman says robots will remove the need for labourers on some farms within five years. Credit:Renee Melides

He said he was asked all the time about whether robotics could rip jobs out of regional Australia.

"I suppose, we don't really know, but the first point I make is a lot of the labour has been taken out of farms already," Mr Newman said.