Thursday, 29 May 2025

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (22:05): (1693) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Treasurer, and it relates to the emergency services tax. Late last night the Ballarat City Council unanimously passed a motion speaking out against the tax, which was described as cruel, toxic and out of touch. The motion condemned the tax as a ‘significant financial burden’ on Victorian property owners. The motion also called for the Victorian Treasury to collect the tax, not local government.

The mayor of Ballarat Cr Hargreaves slammed the financial burden it was placing on residents in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Deputy mayor Cr Taylor said the emergency services tax would collect more than double the 2020 levels. Cr Lapkin, the mover of the motion, said it was a ‘crushing burden’ on farmers. He said:

To this Labor government, country Victoria is expendable and exploitable, it sees rural regions as a source of low-hanging revenue fruit that can be taxed to the hilt …

The Victorian government’s emergency services tax will destroy livelihoods and perhaps even lives …

Cr Lapkin’s motion was seconded by Cr Jay Morrison, who is a member of the Labor Party. He said:

The timing of this levy could not be worse; we are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis …

He continued:

… we are taking action, we are standing up for our community and are calling for a better, fairer approach.

Cr Des Hudson, also a member of the Labor Party, said:

This is unfair, it’s a burden, it’s at a time when we can least afford it, and we deserve a better outcome …

These are your Labor councillors saying this, Treasurer, yet you continue to ignore your own party members and your own MPs, especially the ones in regional communities. Cr Saunders said:

This cruel impost is going to create mental health problems …

This cruel and sneaky tax is abhorrent.

Jim Rinaldi’s ward represents a lot of the northern part of Ballarat, where the farmers are. He said the government would not have any idea what it is like to struggle for a dollar and that they are out of touch. Cr Tess Morgan, another Labor councillor, said that she is proud to be part of the councillor group that is aware of the cost-of-living crisis, unlike those opposite. It is just a shame that you guys over there are blissfully unaware.

The action I seek from the Treasurer is simple: take a step back, listen to many of the regional Victorians, including some of your own people, and scrap the emergency services tax, because if you do not, you will owe regional Victorians a great, great apology.