Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Taxation

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): My question is to the Premier. The government has –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Narre Warren North can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Narre Warren North withdrew from chamber.

John PESUTTO: The government has dropped its commitment to a more efficient tax system from the economic growth statement. Does Victoria have the most efficient tax system in the country?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:30): I am delighted to have the opportunity to talk about how our government is focused on creating jobs and growing the economy. That has been a priority of mine from the very first day I became Premier, appointing a Minister for Economic Growth and focusing on how we can work with business and industry in this great state to grow and support jobs. We are seeing that the latest ABS data shows that more jobs have been created in Victoria in the last 12 months than in any other state – 130,000 jobs –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this question was about the tax system. I think the Premier has picked up the wrong cheat sheet.

The SPEAKER: If the Manager of Opposition Business wishes to raise points of order, I ask him to not have commentary around them. The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked, because it referred to economic growth.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was saying, facts provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that Victoria has created more jobs than any other state in the last 12 months – 130,000 jobs – and we want to continue to support businesses into the future. I was asked about Victoria’s tax base and also about the efficiency of our tax system. I noticed this week that there was commentary made by some about whether they supported the land tax system here in this state. The answer from the Leader of the Opposition was yes, he did. So it appears that there is one thing –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition is being entirely disorderly and unparliamentary with his ongoing commentary across the chamber. Can the Leader of the Opposition not stand by his own commentary? I am happy to play back the tape from ABC Melbourne on Monday morning to the Leader of the Opposition. If this individual is so untrustworthy that he is denying something he said 48 hours ago –

Peter Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question, and I ask you to bring her back to answering, ‘Does Victoria have the most efficient tax system in this state?’

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Nationals knows it is not an opportunity to repeat the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, I just want to raise standing order 58 again to make the point to those on the other side that the Premier is being entirely factual in her response to the question, which is her obligation under the standing orders.

The SPEAKER: It is not for me to determine the factualness of answers or questions. The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked, but I do remind the Premier not to attack the opposition.

Jacinta ALLAN: This is a comment the Treasurer has made on a number of occasions: where there are opportunities to improve the efficiency and delivery of our tax system, we will look at those opportunities. Indeed the house is looking at debating just this week another example of how we are cutting tax to support the building of more homes here in Victoria. This goes alongside the 64 taxes and charges that have been abolished during our time in government. That includes things like lifting the payroll tax free threshold on multiple occasions, particularly saving small businesses. But I just want to make this final point: when we talk about taxes, when we talk about revenue, we must also talk about why. Why are we collecting revenue? So we can support teachers in our schools, nurses in our hospitals and police on the street – very clearly, the same frontline services that those opposite would cut with their American-style debt ceiling they announced today.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): With Victoria having the highest unemployment, the highest debt, the highest CBD vacancy rates, the highest WorkCover premiums and the highest tax-to-GST ratio, how can the Premier defend Victoria’s tax system?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:35): I remind the Leader of the Opposition that it is a tax system that on Monday morning he appeared to support on radio. On Monday morning when he was asked about his support for the tax system, he said that he did. It is Wednesday afternoon, so he could very well have come up with a different position, demonstrating that you just cannot trust from one day to the next what the Leader of the Opposition will say. I will say this to the Leader of the Opposition: we are creating more jobs than any other state. We are approving and building more homes than any other state.

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition can try and shout and interject in that shrill little way that he does continuously throughout question time –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On the point of order, Speaker, I once again contend that the Premier was being entirely factual in her response.

The SPEAKER: The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: The facts I was providing: approving and completing more homes than any other state; the best job creation of any state; and good, strong business investment compared to other states. These are the facts that I am focused on, and supporting jobs.