Tuesday, 29 July 2025

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (15:27): I rise to acknowledge the courage and common sense shown by mayors and councillors across Victoria who have stood up to the Allan Labor government’s latest tax grab, the so-called emergency services levy. Over the weekend more than 30 local leaders from 22 councils met in Moonee Valley and voted unanimously to oppose this $3 billion tax which they have been forcibly tasked with collecting on the government’s behalf. These councillors are right to be angry. They have been deputised as the tax collectors for an unpopular policy that shifts the burden of the state’s budget repair on to home owners, businesses and those that are already strained under the government-created cost-of-living pressure. As one councillor put it, local governments want to stand with their residents, not impose an unfair tax to paper over Labor’s cuts to services. This is not just a budget issue, it is a question of fairness and respect for non-CBD communities. I commend the working group of rural, regional and metropolitan representatives, who were prepared to take the fight directly to the Premier. They speak for millions of Victorians who are being asked to pay more, receive less and increase the risk of death as fire services are cut back.