Wednesday, 21 June 2023

Economic policy

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:08): My question is for the Premier. The South Australian Treasurer has launched a campaign to attract Victorian business by highlighting their lower taxes and charges on businesses. Does the Premier still stand by his comment: ‘Why would you want to go to South Australia?’

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:09): I do thank the honourable member for her question; I genuinely thank her for the question. I might just say this: if you wanted to be reacquainted with about, well, $670 million of Victorian GST paid by Victorians, you would need to go to South Australia, because that is where that money that hardworking Victorian consumers pay every time they buy goods and services finishes up.

John Pesutto: That is where businesses and jobs will go, Daniel. You know that.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, John, you might finish up in South Australia once this lot have had enough of you.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, under standing order 58 the Premier knows not to debate the question. I would ask you to bring him back to the question, which relates to the increased taxes and charges on Victorian businesses.

The SPEAKER: I would ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Daniel ANDREWS: Thank you, Speaker. If I can put it to you that the question asked me why I had used a certain phrase some time ago about why you would want to go there, that is exactly what I am going through. If you wanted to be reacquainted with nearly $700 million of Victorian taxpayers money, then you would need to go to South Australia, because that is where the GST is so devised –

John Pesutto: Higher taxes, higher power bills, higher WorkCover premiums – you are giving them a whole lot of reasons to go to South Australia.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, if only you were this loud to stand up for Victorians. At the end of the day I did see my good friend the Premier of South Australia and his colleagues. They have been out there saying a whole lot of different things, and it seems to me that in their heart of hearts, they want to be Victorians.

John Pesutto: They want the highest debt in the country. They want the highest taxes per person.

Daniel ANDREWS: And of course we wish –

The SPEAKER: Leader of the Opposition!

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, Mali’s doing a bit better than you, mate. He is on the government benches.

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, through the Chair.

John Pesutto: How will they go on?

Daniel ANDREWS: That is the question your colleagues are asking: how will I go on? That is what they are asking.

John Pesutto: The highest taxes per person in the country – more debt than New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania combined.

Daniel ANDREWS: Winter cannot come soon enough.

The SPEAKER: Order! I would ask the Leader of the Opposition to be respectful of the Chair’s rulings. I ask the Premier to speak through the Chair.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, the Premier is now defying your ruling.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to continue, through the Chair.

Daniel ANDREWS: As I was saying, I think in their heart of hearts so many South Australians actually want to be Victorian. They spend so much time talking about Victoria and so much time obsessing about Victoria that I think they might want to actually be Victorian. There are many South Australians who have chosen to make a new life in our great state, and those of them who are teachers and nurses and police officers and footballers – we welcome all of them. We do of course have a fundamental problem with so much of our GST going to support their budget and their services, but such is the way that that tax was devised, and we would not want to be petty by going on any more about that.

But I was asked: why would you want to go there? Well, again, people are free to make their own choices, but if you want to come to big major events, you come to Victoria. If you want to see and understand one of the great cities of the world for medical research, you come to Victoria. If you want the best health care, you come to Victoria.

Members interjecting.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, you are looking a bit sick yourself.

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair! The member for Malvern is warned. The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:13): The Premier’s regard for small businesses, or any business, is pretty clear, isn’t it? Has the Premier received any advice about how many Victorian companies may relocate to South Australia on the back of their lower taxes and charges?

Daniel ANDREWS (Mulgrave – Premier) (14:13): I thank the honourable member for her intro comment about small businesses. I grew up in a small business household, so let me be really clear about this –

Members interjecting.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, I did, and you do not like it, do you? You do not like it, because the party of business over here could not run a bath. We will not be lectured on the more than 600,000 jobs that have been created in this state.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, the Premier’s behaviour is unfitting to him. I would ask you to bring him back to the question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question, but I do ask the Premier to direct his comments through the Chair.

Daniel ANDREWS: Indeed I was, Speaker. There is no such advice. In fact all the advice, as outlined in the budget papers, is a growing Victorian economy, more jobs, more investment, more skills, better services and a surplus in the final year of the forward estimates – and that is the real point of this question. They are so desperately upset that we are creating jobs, improving services –

John Pesutto: Have you read your own budget papers? Joblessness goes up, GSP comes down.

Daniel ANDREWS: Well, I would not lecture anyone on job security, John. You are not qualified – you are just not qualified.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Premier and other members to refer to other members by their correct titles.