Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (14:02): I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the hundreds – probably bordering on thousands, if we add all the rallies and meetings together – of farmers, councillors, CFA volunteers and professional firefighters, including United Firefighters Union of Australia branch secretary Peter Marshall, who travelled from all over Victoria today and on Friday in utes, fire trucks and cars to stand in unison to oppose this 60th most egregious tax this callous Labor government are imposing on all Victorians, but particularly farmers. They left their drought-ridden farms, where animals are starving and crops not growing, to give this place a message. But what was absolutely appalling was not one of you from that side of the chamber was present, either on Friday or today, nor have you come out to meetings that have been held that I have attended in Beaufort, Ascot, Barunah Plains. Not anybody from the crossbench over there – the Greens, the Legalise Cannabis Party – attended these rallies. These people are in desperate straits, and you all stayed silent and absent, not one of you prepared to face up to the farmers, the volunteers and the professional firefighters in calling on you to abandon this egregious tax.