Thursday, 20 February 2025

Short-stay accommodation

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (18:18): (1450) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Treasurer, regarding the concerning report that women and families fleeing domestic violence are being subject to the Allan Labor government’s harsh tax on short-stay accommodation, including Airbnb. The action I seek is for the new Treasurer to immediately revisit this poorly constructed tax to ensure that it is not being imposed on those women and families fleeing domestic violence situations and choosing temporary accommodation at Airbnbs. Many on this side of the chamber raised our concerns with the government when the short-stay levy legislation was introduced last year about the need for the tax to be waived in these circumstances. Unbelievably, those opposite voted against the reasoned amendment. Exceptions for Labor’s crude tax only apply to those non-profit organisations that currently receive some homelessness support funding from the government. I request that the Treasurer urgently address these eligibility requirements and amend them to ensure this oversight by the government is rectified.

We have heard reports from right across Victoria, including in my region, that homeless and domestic violence services are utilising Airbnb to house vulnerable women, yet they are being subject to the new 7.5 per cent Labor tax hike that came into effect last month. The Liberals have already committed to abolishing this unfair and crude tax – one of the 55 new tax increases since Labor came to government – if we are offered the opportunity in November 2026. This tax is manifestly unjust, and I would urge the government to reconsider the way they are collecting it. If they must have this tax in place, the Allan Labor government must ensure they are not subjecting our vulnerable Victorians to paying more at a time when they cannot afford it and when they need as much support as possible. We need to provide safeguards for women who make the tough but right decision to leave a violent situation in their home. Therefore I ask the Treasurer to seek to have the short-stay levy legislation amended, to waive all tax from being paid by those women and families fleeing domestic violence and to put victims in our community first.