Thursday, 30 July 2026


Constituency questions

Murray Plains electorate


Peter WALSH

Proof only

Please do not quote

Murray Plains electorate

 Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (14:32): (1732) My question is to the Minister for Government Services. Can the minister explain why this Labor government has designed the eligible volunteer rebate scheme in such an unnecessarily complex and inaccessible way that many of the very volunteers it is supposed to reward are effectively locked out of claiming it? I have been contacted by a constituent who, as a CFA life member, volunteered from 1989 to 2017. Yet when he and his wife attempted to claim the fire services levy rebate, they found themselves caught in a bureaucratic maze. The irony is this couple consider themselves computer literate and have extensive experience dealing with government systems through their professional careers. If people with those skills cannot successfully navigate this process, what hope is there for volunteers with limited digital skills or those without reliable internet access? This government has created a process so cumbersome many people will simply give up, forfeiting a rebate they earn through years of service to their communities. Is this actually the plan to stop people claiming this to save the government debt?