Tuesday, 15 October 2019

 Mr O’DONOHUE (Eastern Victoria) (12:55): Mornington Peninsula is a beautiful part of regional Victoria, supporting hundreds of amazing and diverse small businesses. Unfortunately, the Mornington Peninsula is designated as part of metropolitan Melbourne even though many parts of the Mornington Peninsula are 70, 80 or more kilometres from the Melbourne GPO. As a result of this designation as part of metropolitan Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula businesses pay the same payroll tax rate as metropolitan businesses while businesses across the bay in Geelong, the Bellarine, Ballarat and many places closer to Melbourne—parts of Murrindindi and other municipalities—pay the discounted, or lower rate, of payroll tax. So my question for the Treasurer is: will he review this inequity that sees Mornington Peninsula businesses discriminated against and forced to pay higher payroll tax, which just drives business away from this part of regional Victoria?