Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (19:52): (1659) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Treasurer and relates to the emergency services tax passed last week. My office has been flooded with inquiries from concerned CFA volunteers, farmers and members of rural communities who are stressed and highly on edge. One of my constituents wrote to me. She is a farmer in the Beaufort district who runs sheep. Her husband passed away a number of years ago, and she runs the farm by herself. She is now in a position where she will be facing thousands in extra costs due to the tax and has taken the very difficult decision to rent out the bedrooms in her house and live in a caravan just so she can afford to keep food on the table and cover costs. The only other alternative is to sell up.

Treasurer, when you addressed the media on this you said you were are setting a progressive, proportionate tax based on the capacity of people to pay. Tell that to the farmers that are suffering through severe drought. Did you consult with the farmers and rural communities who are going to be hit hardest by this cruel tax? Did the government do any modelling on this tax? Furthermore, would they release it if there was any? I doubt it. Did the government talk to local councils, who are the ones tasked with collecting this tax? It appears the answers to those questions are no, no and no. That is why the response from farmers, rural communities, volunteers and local government has also been no, no and no.

I am very proud to be part of the Liberal–National coalition which is committed to scrapping the emergency tax. On this side of the chamber we do not punch down on vulnerable farmers, volunteers and rural Victorians suffering through the worst drought in 100 years. We stand proudly beside them against this tax, and we make absolutely no apology for it. The action I seek from the Treasurer is: will you join me in meeting concerned farmers, volunteers and rural Victorians to listen to the concerns they are raising? In essence, come and face the music, because doing what matters most does not seem to really appear part of this budget.