Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:24): (1105) My question is to the Treasurer. During the last sitting week, you lectured me about telling the truth when it comes to the emergency services tax. Treasurer, were you telling the truth when you claimed that you responded to all those letters from councils and/or mayors and addressed all of the questions in them?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:25): Mrs McArthur, all correspondence that comes into the office is responded to.

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:25): Minister, that is not the truth. All the correspondence has not been responded to. I have got the evidence here. Mayor Stephen Jolly confirmed that, despite your version of events, he has had no response to the joint letter from the 30 mayors and councillors sent on 15 September 2025. Further, on 4 July 2025 the cabinet office responded to a letter to the Premier about the emergency services tax dated 26 May 2025 –

Members interjecting.

Bev McARTHUR: Let us go to this one, Minister. On 4 July 2025, the cabinet office responded to a letter to the Premier about the emergency services tax dated 26 May 2025 from nine mayors. The cabinet office directed it to you, and they have received no response. So, Treasurer, do you want to correct the record on that? No?

The PRESIDENT: Mrs McArthur, you ran out of time, but I let you ask the question, and then you asked further questions. You can only ask one.

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:26): Mrs McArthur, you have asked for responses to a range of correspondence. The first one you asked about was in relation to a response to correspondence from several mayors, which you said I have not been responded to. I have got the signed copy here. I would be happy to table it for you. I am advised that it has been sent. I am happy to share the response with you, if you like. They might need to double-check that they have not received it, because my advice is that it has been sent. It certainly has been signed by me, and I have got a copy that you are welcome to. I can only repeat my initial response: every piece of correspondence that comes into the office is responded to.