Land tax
Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:13): (284) My question is to the Minister for Housing. Yesterday the Treasurer announced a new and expanded tax on housing at an industry breakfast, reportedly blindsiding the Premier’s office. The Property Council claims that the affordability partnership signed with the government was set on fire inside a fortnight. Given the housing statement was released on 20 September, supposedly after months of comprehensive and detailed consultation and work, I ask: why weren’t these changes announced as part of the housing statement released only two weeks ago?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:14): Mr Mulholland, it is lovely to have you ask your first question to me as the Minister for Housing. I am a little concerned, however, that in your triage process you have perhaps missed the point about the Treasurer’s role in this particular matter and the fact that the vacant residential land tax is something which, as you have quite rightly pointed out, was the remit of the Treasurer. The preamble that you have raised here this morning again has a few embellishments and a bit of poetic licence attached to it, and I just want to for avoidance of doubt confirm that there has been a process – you may not have it over there – whereby there is a collective approach to decision-making, including in the development of legislation being introduced that relates to what cabinet does.
Now, Mr Mulholland, you may have an assiduous process associated with ventilating all of your conversations internally. We certainly do not, so I do not intend to canvass that work. I do not intend to canvass that work here today, but what I am perhaps inviting you to do, Mr Mulholland, is to look not at the question that you have asked – which is, again, to quote the Premier, ‘back to the future’, so hop into your DeLorean and away we go – but also at the housing statement of two weeks ago I think, which is actually about making sure we bring together the pieces of some of the most significant challenges for communities as population growth continues to increase, as we continue to see pressures around social housing, as we continue to look at the work to alleviate the pressures of homelessness and of the cost of living and as we work in those investment partnerships and again partner with our colleagues in the Commonwealth government as that relates to the social housing accelerator program.
Again, Mr Mulholland, one of the things that perhaps would assist you in your role as shadow is to look at the funding that has been allocated through this government, record funding. No other government in Australia has invested more to challenge the pressures in our market – private, community and public – than this government, the Andrews and now Allan government. We are proud of this work. We are also proud to partner with a range of organisations across peak bodies – and this will devastate you, Mr Mulholland, but some of your friends are in fact wholehearted supporters of the work that we are doing and those partnerships that are being developed – and to make sure that as we deliver this housing we are freeing up land, we are streamlining planning processes, we are assisting with the development of suburban and inner-city areas and, again, we are reducing the challenges associated with finding the land and the opportunities to meet our population growth needs now and into the future.
Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:17): Cath Evans, the CEO of the Property Council, has said the partnership entered into with the government:
… clearly outlines that consultation is a shared responsibility and that we all … work together to find solutions in a complex economic environment.
Sadly, 8 … days later, the Treasurer, who was a signatory to the Partnership, has announced the introduction of … expanded taxes without any consultation …
I ask the minister: just like the Commonwealth Games, is it government policy to mislead partners that enter into agreements with the state of Victoria?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:18): Thanks, Mr Mulholland. I was trying to perhaps give you a little bit of guidance, but this is like going bowling without gutter guards with you, I suspect. What I want to do is perhaps give you a sense of comfort that the Treasurer has addressed these matters – that there have been discussions and will continue to be discussions about these matters. In the legislative process, Mr Mulholland, around what this actually means as part of freeing up land and making sure that vacant properties are not then failing to be utilised in addressing some of those shortfalls, consultation will continue, including in this place. And I hope that when and as this bill comes to committee stage, Mr Mulholland, you will be on your feet – that you will have a vast folder of information to assist you in getting across the detail of this, including perhaps getting across the detail of the fact that this matter and the fact that you have asked for an opinion of me is something that might be better directed to the Treasurer.