Payroll tax
Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:35): My question is to the Treasurer. The Labor member for Mordialloc privately lobbied the Treasurer to exempt Cornish College in his electorate from Labor’s school tax. In the letter, the Labor member for Mordialloc stated that the tax would be detrimental to the school community and that it would have substantial impact on the mental health and wellbeing programs on offer to school students. Is it government policy that schools should be forced to cut mental health programs to pay for Labor’s financial mismanagement?
Tim PALLAS (Werribee – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Economic Growth) (14:36): I thank the member for her question. I make it very clear that so far as the member for Mordialloc is concerned you could not find a more sterling or substantial representative of his electorate and, might I say, a very good member of a Labor government committed to making sure that education is provided in a very substantial way by a government that has been investing in schools. The government of course has been making a very substantial effort in ensuring that there is fairness in the way that our payroll tax system operates. We cannot have a system that provides that state-run education has to in effect pay the equivalent of the payroll tax number, but those opposite of course feel that private schools with fee-paying incomes over $15,000 should be exempt effectively from payroll tax.
I understand that the member for Mordialloc – a sterling advocate for those who come to him and seek a voice in this Parliament – recognised that he had an obligation to put a concern, whether or not it was one that he believed was consistent with the government’s position or indeed one that he might privately ascribe to. But what I can tell you is that all members of Parliament are welcome to advocate on behalf of schools in their electorate and in fact any other constituent who becomes aggrieved. Those opposite might well say to them, ‘Don’t come near us; don’t tell us about your problems, because it’s not our policy.’ We at least give a hearing to those who feel to some extent aggrieved by the choices we make. That in no way derogates from this government’s commitment to and continuation of ensuring that we have fairness in the way that payroll tax is applied.
Jess Wilson: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question is specifically about cuts to mental health programs due to Labor’s financial mismanagement.
The SPEAKER: The Treasurer was being relevant to the question that was asked. The Treasurer has concluded his answer.
Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:38): Can the Treasurer confirm how many Labor members have written to him about the impact of Labor’s school tax?
Tim PALLAS (Werribee – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Economic Growth) (14:39): I thank the member for her question, but I can assure her that I speak to many members of this Parliament – some on the opposite side, some on this side. Many of them sometimes wish for information. Sometimes they seek clarity. Sometimes they actually want to advocate about concerns expressed to them by their community. ‘How many’ is the question. Well, more than I can count have advocated to me about the concerns of their constituents, and that is appropriate. So far as this government is concerned, we will always listen to the constituents, to Victorians, but one thing we will never do is put in place an unfair and unjust system that basically requires government-funded schools to pay the equivalent of payroll tax whilst those opposite will advocate for preferred and special treatment for elite high-fee schools charging more than $15,000 in annual fees.