Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:35): My question is to the Premier. The Treasurer said that the new emergency services tax is weighted at those that can afford to pay more.

Members interjecting.

Emma KEALY: Speaker, please can I have the same courtesy extended to other members?

The SPEAKER: Order! I expect all members to give each side of the house the courtesy they deserve.

Emma KEALY: On what basis did the government decide to increase the tax on farmers by 189 per cent, almost double that of every other Victorian?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:36): In thanking the member for Lowan for her question, the government has made a policy change to –

The SPEAKER: Can I just remind the Premier that this legislation is currently in the upper house and to be mindful of anticipating further debate.

Jacinta ALLAN: Thank you for that guidance, Speaker. Being mindful of that, I will refer to previous government statements on this matter, where we have clearly identified that the fire services levy that was introduced by, I think, the then member for Malvern or maybe the then member for Rowville, following a recommendation from the 2010 royal commission into the 2009 Black Saturday fires, was designed in a way to provide support for those emergency services that go out each and every day and support our communities, whether they be farmers, whether they be households, whether they be businesses, in every part of the state. Following representation, particularly from the state emergency services, who for various policy reasons at the time were not covered by this levy –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, on relevance, Speaker, this is about farmers being disproportionately impacted after the government have said that they are targeting those that can afford more, when clearly farmers cannot.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant, but I do remind the Premier that it was referencing a particular section of our community.

Jacinta ALLAN: I mentioned farmers, I mentioned households and I mentioned businesses, and we are seeing how the more and more frequent and fierce natural disasters are impacting every corner of the state. In terms of what we have recognised in being able to bring more –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: I would like the Premier to be shown the same courtesy that the member for Lowan requested.

Jacinta ALLAN: Thank you, Speaker, for that protection from the member for Lowan. We are seeing more and more frequent and ferocious –

Roma Britnell interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for South-West Coast can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for South-West Coast withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: natural disasters in this state, and we are seeing, more and more, not just our fire services being called upon but our broader emergency services being called on to do more, which is why we think it is only fair that the levy be expanded to include emergency services like the SES. In consideration of how the rate is struck, noting that the mechanism –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual, and the fact is that this tax is actually going to be funding core government and public service back office jobs, so I would like you to ask the Premier to come back to the very narrow question about why farmers particularly are being slugged 189 per cent more of this tax.

The SPEAKER: I am aware of the question, but thank you for that point of order because it gives me an opportunity to remind the house about rulings. As I have noted on previous occasions, standing orders require questions and answers to be factual. I have also noted that while it is incumbent on members to be factual it is difficult for the Chair to be the arbiter of the veracity of all information presented in the chamber. In debate, members will seek to argue that other members are right or wrong, and that is a normal feature of debate. I share the guidance offered at paragraph 22.13 in May, 25th edition, which states:

The facts on which a question is based may be set out as briefly as practicable within the framework of a question, provided that the Member asking it makes themselves responsible for their accuracy …

While this paragraph is about questions, the logic obviously extends to answers and other debates. The Premier to continue, with relevance.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was asked a question about the rate being struck for farmers, and I think before the point of order I was going directly to saying how the government considered how the rate was being struck for consideration for all property owners across the state, noting that this is a levy that already exists, the mechanism for collection is remaining the same and the opportunity by including other emergency services to have every dollar that is raised through this fund invested back into those emergency services –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question in her response. I ask you to bring her back: why are farmers being slugged 129 per cent more than other Victorians?

The SPEAKER: Please do not repeat the question in a point of order. The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: The advice I have from the Treasurer is that the increase in the levy for primary producers is the equivalent of 0.5 to 0.8 per cent of agricultural production, which also recognises the large landholdings of primary producers and the risk they face in the event of fire.

Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:42): Groups ranging from the UFU to the VFF and nearly all local government organisations are opposed to this great big new tax. Given the government undertook no consultation on this massive change, will the Premier now withdraw this tax and provide some relief for farmers, residents and businesses during Labor’s cost-of-living crisis?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:42): I was asked about relief for farmers. In acknowledging that farmers, like all Victorians, are experiencing the challenges of the pressures of cost of living, I will say this to the member for Lowan: we have the lowest payroll rate in regional Victoria of any jurisdiction in the nation, we have exempted primary production from land tax, we invest in regional communities right across the state –

Emma Kealy: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating her response. Most farmers do not pay payroll tax, because they do not have more than 20 employees.

The SPEAKER: Member for Lowan, I ask you to state your points of order succinctly. It is not an opportunity to make a statement to the house. The Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was asked about relief for farmers and support for farmers, and there is the support we have been providing to farmers in the south-west of the state as they continue to experience dry conditions. Let us remember what our emergency services do for farmers and indeed all regional communities. They provide them with support. They provide them with relief when there is a fire and when there is an emergency, and we think they deserve our support.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Polwarth can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Polwarth withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: We believe they deserve our support, which is why every dollar will be reinvested back into those emergency services.