Tuesday, 6 February 2024

Taxation

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (19:01): (667) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Treasurer, and it is regarding increasing business taxes and charges. Greg is a vet with a busy practice in Kyneton providing a vital service in his local community. He contacted me recently in frustration at the increases to business taxes and charges, which are making it harder for him to manage the cost of running his clinic. I want to just turn to his email where he said to me that:

I am writing to express my dismay at receiving the renewal for my Radiation Management Licence for 2024–2027. The amount I am being charged is $1287.90, which represents about double the previous amount.

He goes on to say he cannot understand the ‘justification for the quantum of this licence fee or for the increase’ and says:

I can see no value for me or for the community or my clients in this. I have paid these licences for years. Nothing has ever happened as a result of me holding a licence since 1984 …

This is the point. Businesses – like this vet, who is going about doing tremendous work for the community and for those pets and animals that he cares for – are being slugged by the government’s tax grabs and these increases in charges. It goes on to say:

This comes on top of a tripling of my WorkCover premiums (for a business with a very good claims record). When will these exorbitant fee increases end?

I quite agree with him. When is the government going to stop slugging businesses like this that are just doing so much good work in their communities, as I have mentioned? He comes from a small town – Kyneton. He also stated in his email that:

… each individual operator of X-ray equipment is required to hold a radiation operator’s licence as well. I dread to think tese fees will go up by renewal time.

His concerns are valid because everywhere he is turning he is getting slugged by these increases in taxes and business costs, whether it is WorkCover premiums or these licensing fees. He made the excellent point, as we have seen with the health tax and GPs speaking out today, that:

… fee rises like these can only cause rising prices for our essential services to the public.

So the action I am seeking is, as he said:

I ask that you review these fees and ensure that government fees and charges are adjusted to reflect the value (or lack thereof) of the service provided and to protect small business and consequently the public from unjustified costs.

Hear, hear, Dr Greg McIntyre! And I would ask also for the Treasurer to explain why these vet radiation management licence fees have increased and doubled, as Greg has expressed in his email to me.