Land tax
Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (14:24): My question is to the Premier. Ahead of the last election the Treasurer promised that no Victorian should have to worry about feeding their family. A charity in Berwick has for decades supported the community with a free food pantry and outreach programs to people who are socially isolated. The government has issued them with a land tax assessment of $552,142, which includes a substantial amount of penalty interest. How can the government be so callous as to put this food charity program for vulnerable families at risk this Christmas?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:25): I thank the member for Berwick – I was going to call you Gembrook, but it is Berwick – for his question. He has referred to a charitable organisation in his electorate providing food relief services for the local community. Can I thank the charity and no doubt the large number of volunteers they have supporting families in the local community for all the work they do every single day, like so many other food relief –
John Pesutto interjected.
Jacinta ALLAN: I apologise that your colleagues are not listening to this important question and the answer. I apologise on your behalf for their rudeness to the member for Berwick.
Roma Britnell interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for South-West Coast, stop the running commentary.
Jacinta ALLAN: Food relief organisations are providing a really important role and a growing role at this time. Whether it is as a consequence of the numerous interest rate rises that we are experiencing –
Jess Wilson interjected.
The SPEAKER: The member for Kew can leave the chamber for half an hour.
Member for Kew withdrew from chamber.
Jacinta ALLAN: Families are experiencing a range of pressures at the moment, as I was saying. The consequences of successive interest rate rises are putting more and more pressure on families, just as they are on budgets everywhere. We have a range of programs –
Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to relevance, the specific question here is around a $552,000 tax bill sent to this organisation. We all understand the Premier is going down the path of ‘families are struggling with interest rate rises and other pressures’, yet the government are taxing them half a million dollars, which will close this food pantry. Can she please direct her answer to the question?
The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked.
Jacinta ALLAN: As I was indicating, there are a range of food relief support services that we provide. There was funding in the budget for organisations like Foodbank and Foodshare. There are a whole range of organisations across the state.
In terms of the issue the member has raised regarding the land tax notification that has been provided to this organisation, I will ask the Treasurer to follow up directly with the member for Berwick in terms of the particular circumstances that have seen a notification of this size and type be presented to the organisation. If the member can provide details to the Treasurer in good faith, we are happy to work with him and the organisation on this situation.
Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (14:28): Just for clarification, the Treasurer is aware and is currently going to VCAT as you fight to make sure that this charity organisation pays their $552,000. The charity donates time, volunteers support services, food and financial support to many families across Melbourne’s south-east. Is it government policy to target registered charities with tax bills of over half a million dollars?
Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:29): I thank the member for his supplementary question. Given the member is appearing to present a range of information to the house based on his knowledge, it is my advice that – and the member may already know this and wish to convey this – land is exempt from land tax if it is used and occupied by a charitable institution exclusively for charitable purposes. In good faith I have extended to the member for Berwick the opportunity to have further discussions with the government on this matter. We are happy to work with him, and I continue to note that we will continue to provide support to families. The member for Berwick may remember a time when he was part of a government that cut funding to Fresh Fruit Friday and the education maintenance allowance. That is a matter for him. We will continue to provide support to families.