Hansard debates

... Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (09:56): I too would like to speak on this report and thank Georgie for her excellent chairing of the committee, all the members and the secretariat for their work and the councils that contributed. It was in Camperdown that we revealed that the Labor government are going to apply a vaccination tax – a vax tax – on the citizens of Victoria via their ratepayers. I was very regretful I could not be at the deliberation hearing, but I am very grateful for Gaelle Broad, ...

... Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (14:18): (1313) How very generous of you, Acting President. My constituency question for the Minister for Environment concerns the devastating impact of the Mount Arapiles management plan on Natimuk. The loss of local medics, teachers and other professionals who moved to Natimuk to be close to the crags will be incalculable. Tourism will be devastated, and not just hospitality. Open Spaces Publishing has sold 140,000 climbing guides over 30 years. Devastated owner Glenn Tempest announced its closure last week. He ...

... Bev McARTHUR: Minister, in the departmental briefing the departmental officer confirmed that the reason for the GP tax was to move all GPs onto bulk-billing. Can you confirm that is the reason why we are using payroll tax on GPs? ...

... Bev McARTHUR: But those that are not providing bulk-billing – that is, those that provide a service to private patients – are being taxed, and the reason, we gathered in the briefing, was that you want all GPs to bulk-bill. Can you confirm that? ...

... Bev McARTHUR: But why won’t you exempt all GPs who are providing health services to all patients, whether they are private or bulk-billed? ...

... Bev McARTHUR: That does confirm what the agenda is here. Can you tell us how this will affect rural general practices, many of whom do not bulk-bill and cannot afford to bulk-bill? We are lucky to have GPs in many areas, so we do not want to lose them. How many GPs will be lost in rural Victoria as a result of the fact that they will have to pay a payroll tax? ...

... Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:46): Rising to speak on the 2024–25 budget, it would be remiss of me not to recognise a significant milestone rapidly approaching. Next month Timeless Tim will have been our Treasurer for a full decade – 10 glorious, or perhaps inglorious years – and a week or so later he will overtake Sir Albert Dunstan to become the second-longest serving Victorian Treasurer in history. Yet despite the fact he has outlasted Dan, he still will not qualify for a statue. How unfair is that?...

... Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (18:11): (1337) My adjournment matter for the Minister for Children concerns extraordinary failings of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) revealed in a recent shocking decision by the Victorian Children’s Court. I recognise the sensitivity of this matter. I raise it with the permission of the father but will not reference identifying details. I seek only to highlight the incredible findings of the magistrate. They must be heard loud and clear by clinicians and social workers. This is ...

... Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (10:39): I am obviously extremely supportive of Mr Limbrick’s motion. I have stood on the side of climbers for more than five years now, and I have watched the outright and inexplicable hostility to rock climbers shown by our state government, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Parks Victoria and their collective bureaucrats, paid cultural heritage and scientific advisers and activist staff. We have seen this kind of ideological evidence blind prejudice before. It is the same instinct that brought us ...

... Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:37): (1284) My constituency question for the Treasurer concerns the fire services property levy. Last year the Treasurer reduced the rate payable by international corporations financing renewable projects to the public benefit rate paid by local fire stations, hospitals and schools. At 5.7 cents per $1000 of capital improved value, it is a fraction of the 81-cent industrial rate. At the same time farmers faced a 70 per cent hike from 16.9 cents to 28.7 cents per thousand dollars in their levy. ...