Thursday, 14 November 2019

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:51): My question is for the Minister for Local Government. I am aware, as I am sure he is, that the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), a group I generally have high regard for, has a plan to charge rates to every private school in Victoria, thereby forcing parents of those many schools to pay higher fees. In Southern Metro—my electorate and Ms Crozier’s electorate—there is a great concentration of private schools, including independent schools, Catholic sector schools and others. Parents scrimp and save and seek to get a very fair way forward for their children. They pay for this education. What I ask is: will the minister provide a guarantee that neither he nor the government will support the MAV’s plan to increase taxes on every private school in Southern Metro?