Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Taxation

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Will the Minister confirm that Labor’s great big new tax on home owners will hit every postcode across Melbourne and every town across Victoria?

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, this is a question that I tried to understand, but it sounded like it was about tax, and that should have been rightly directed to the Treasurer, not the Minister for Planning.

James NEWBURY: On the point of order, Speaker, with respect, this question is entirely within order.

The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business has directed his question to the Minister for Planning. The Minister for Planning has an option to answer or not answer.

Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Minister for Planning, Minister for the Suburbs) (14:36): I thank the member for Brighton for his question. First of all, I acknowledge that regarding certain portfolio responsibilities the question that he has asked is probably more appropriately directed to the Treasurer. However, I would really value the opportunity to get up here to talk about this government’s commitment to making more affordable homes for more Victorians. We know those on the other side, the member of Brighton in particular –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, with respect, this question was about Labor’s great big new home owner tax.

Jacinta Allan: On the point of order, Speaker, you clearly issued a direction to the Minister for Planning that given the broad nature and lack of specificity in the content from the member opposite the Minister for Planning had discretion in how she answered the question. So as a consequence of your direction, Speaker, the Minister for Planning was being entirely relevant to the question that was asked.

John Pesutto: On the point of order, Speaker, the question is very narrow. It refers to the big new tax on home owners. It does not provide the Minister for Planning with a broad remit to address other matters. It is about the big new tax on home owners that the Allan Labor government is going to impose on every postcode in this state.

The SPEAKER: Given the Minister for Planning stated that the question was better directed to the Treasurer at the outset, the Minister for Planning is to come back to answering the question.

Sonya KILKENNY: It is a great opportunity to talk about this government’s commitment, as I said, to delivering the 800,000 homes over the next decade and ensuring that we are pulling every lever available to us to support that commitment. We have seen the member for Brighton, we have seen the member for Malvern and we have even seen the Leader of the Opposition blocking homes for more Victorians, locking Victorians out of the very places where they want to live – close to transport, to jobs, to services and to their families. We know the only way to make homes more affordable here in Victoria is to build more of them. That means working with communities and working with local government, alongside industry, to ensure we have got the conditions right to support the growth of those homes and the building of those homes in the places where Victorians want to live.

This is about ensuring that we are not just building more homes but building communities that are going to support these Victorians to reach their very full potential. This is about supporting all Victorians with the dignity of a home in the area they choose to live, not about locking them out of their suburbs, not about blocking developments, not about using heritage as a way to stop development and to block Victorians. I want to be able to look at the next generation of Victorians and say I did everything with the Allan Labor government, everything possible, to ensure that we are providing homes for Victorians in the places they want to live. This is about those opposite failing to have any coherent strategy on planning and on delivering affordable homes for more Victorians.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question related to Labor’s great big new tax on home owners, and I would ask you to bring the minister back to that question.

The SPEAKER: The minister indicated that the question was not within her portfolio. She is answering the question according to her portfolio. The minister has concluded her answer.

James NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:41): Under Labor’s great big new tax on home owners, can the minister confirm the plan to make home owners pay more than $1000 when they renovate or rebuild their home?

Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Minister for Planning, Minister for the Suburbs) (14:42): Can I just remind those opposite that we are in the middle of a housing crisis, and the mischief that is peddled by those opposite and the bizarre allegations that are made that we have seen here today are not serving ‍–

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, it was a very specific question about a particular charge on home owners – a $1000 new charge on home owners – and I would ask you to bring the minister back to that question.

The SPEAKER: I am very well aware of the question, Manager of Opposition Business. The minister was answering the question within her portfolio. I do ask the minister not to attack the opposition but to come back to the answer.

Sonya KILKENNY: I would hope that those in this place are factual and that we are not peddling mischief when what we are facing is a housing crisis. What I would hope is that those opposite would join with us in seeking to support the delivery of more homes for more Victorians. We know the only way that we are going to make homes more affordable is to build more of them. It is not a laughing matter, I say to the Leader of the Opposition. This is such a serious matter. The dignity of housing is a basic human right, Leader of the Opposition. I remind you of the housing crisis. I remind you of the need for us to build 2.54 million more homes by 2050. Please join with us on this.