OVENS Valley MP Tim McCurdy has joined his Nationals colleagues in launching the 'Scrap The Tax' campaign - a push to stop the Victorian government’s Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) in its tracks.
MPs are urging community members against the tax to send a message to the government and protest its proposed introduction on 1 July this year.
“This tax is nothing short of a cash grab,” Mr McCurdy said.
“It will hit regional families, farmers and small businesses the hardest, while delivering little – if anything – back to our local CFA brigades and SES units.”
The controversial bill for the new ESVF was debated in the upper house on 3 April, but a vote was delayed until the next sitting on 13 May.
Latest Stories
Under legislation before the house, primary producers face cost rises from 28.7 cents per $1000 capital improved value (CIV) to 83 cents.
Volunteer service men and women will be exempt from paying the tax, however, farmers' property taxes who are not volunteers would be tripled.
Mr McCurdy said the tax punishes regional Victorians at a time they can least afford it.
“With costs rising and dry conditions hitting agriculture hard, this is the worst possible time to tax farmers more,” he said.
“Labor’s priorities are completely out of touch with regional Victoria.”
The Coalition claimed only $250 million of the $2.1 billion expected to be raised by the ESVF will contribute to CFA or SES funding.
“The Nationals secured a win last sitting week by halting this tax in Parliament, but the fight isn’t over,” Mr McCurdy said.
“We’re urging people to visit scrapthetax.com.au and send a message to the Treasurer before Parliament returns in May.
“This tax must be scrapped - regional Victorians deserve better.”
A government spokesperson previously told North East Media the fund was about making sure emergency services have the sustainable funding and equipment they need to keep Victorians safe and to recover from natural disasters.
"Every single dollar raised by the new Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund will support our emergency services – helping them to keep communities safe year-round," they said.
"The Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund Bill makes it clear that the fund will be used to collect up to 95% of the budgets for CFA and VICSES – this is more than $250 million."
