Emergency services levy delay is politics, not relief

The Nationals Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP, has condemned Labor’s decision to postpone its Emergency Services Tax until after the 2026 state election and called on the Government to scrap the tax entirely.

Ms Cleeland said the delay was a political tactic designed to hide an unfair and deeply unpopular $3 billion tax from voters, not a genuine change of heart.

She warned regional Victorians that the levy has not been abandoned and will be imposed in full if Labor is re-elected.

“Make no mistake, a vote for Labor is a vote for the brutal $3 billion emergency services tax that will hit farmers, families, renters and regional communities,” Ms Cleeland said.

Ms Cleeland said Labor’s December announcement was about managing political damage rather than providing real relief to those already under pressure from rising costs.

Under the Government’s plan, farmers still face significant levy increases, while rental providers and renters would be hit with a new fixed charge during a cost-of-living crisis.

“This tax has not been scrapped, it has simply been pushed past the election because Labor knows how angry regional Victorians are,” Ms Cleeland said.

Ms Cleeland said the so-called exemptions for farmers fail to reflect the reality of modern farming, with many operations spread across multiple land titles.

She said the levy would continue to place unnecessary strain on local economies and farming families already dealing with drought, inflation and labour shortages.

“This is not meaningful relief and it does nothing to protect regional communities from a tax that was wrong from the start,” Ms Cleeland said.

Ms Cleeland said emergency services must be properly funded, but not on the backs of regional Victorians.

She reaffirmed The Nationals commitment to scrap the tax and continue advocating for a fairer funding model.

“Our CFA and SES deserve secure funding, but it should come from responsible government budgeting, not an unfair tax that treats regional Victorians as a cash cow,” Ms Cleeland said.