Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (14:28): I want to thank the incredible emergency services volunteers, including the thousands who rallied on the steps of Parliament and those standing strong in their local communities.

A Liberals and Nationals government will scrap the emergency services tax when elected to government next year. This cruel tax rips $765 million a year from families, farmers and small businesses under a false promise of supporting emergency services. But it is not about support, it is about plugging Labor’s budget black hole. Regional communities are already battling drought and soaring costs. Farmers hit with a 150 per cent increase deserve better. It is not just our farmers; millions and millions and millions of dollars will come from our communities when rates are collected – millions ripped from every single family, every business and every resident in our region. They will be impacted by this tax, and this is something our regional communities cannot afford.

We will scrap the tax, and we will restore the fire services property levy. Funding for the SES and vital services will be delivered transparently through the state budget and not buried in your rates notices. The Allan Labor government cannot manage money and they cannot manage our emergency services, and every Victorian is paying the price. To our volunteers: your voices are heard. Under our leadership, the Liberals and Nationals, real change is coming.