Thursday, 12 September 2024

 Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (10:22): I would like to cast the government’s mind back to 2014, when the night before the election the then opposition leader went on 7News to make the promise to every Victorian that he would not increase taxes or introduce any new taxes. Well, what an absolute crock. Since that day the Andrews and Allan Labor governments have had 10 years, 10 budgets and not one, not two, not three but 54 new or increased taxes, with number 55, the tourism tax, being introduced this week. Why would that be? Because thanks to the corruption and ineptitude of the Andrews and Allan Labor governments, Victoria is steeped in the worst debt in the nation, where every single hour our taxpayers here are paying more than $1 million in interest on this debt.

Welcome to Victoria, where Victorians pay taxes they would not pay anywhere else in Australia. For example, if you send your kid to the wrong school, you have got to pay the schools tax. If you go away for the school holidays, you have got to pay the tourism tax. If you go on vacation for too long, you have to pay the vacant home tax. If you go to the beach, you have to pay the beach tax. If you get sick, you have got to pay the health tax. If you get too sick, you have got to pay Labor’s new death tax. Well, I had better start preparing my next speech on Labor’s new oxygen tax. Victoria, you deserve better than this pack of crooks who have indebted and bankrupted our state.