The Baillieu Government has failed to deliver on its own commitment to introduce a new property-based levy to replace the Fire Services Levy (FSL), Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney MP said.
“The Government has sailed by its own deadlines to have begun the transition to the new arrangement, which was supposed to be underway of July 1,” Ms Tierney said.
“It’s now nearly two months later and we are yet to see legislation introduced to Parliament. The Government failed to introduce legislation on the new property based tax last week in Parliament.
“Victorians, particularly in regional communities, who were promised that the phase out of the old levy would have begun already, will feel betrayed.”
Tierney said the only progress the Government had made on replacing the FSL was an option paper, released in June 2011.
“Apart from committing to replace the FSL, the Baillieu Government hasn’t provided any further details on the replacement scheme,” she said.
“Despite questions from the Opposition and the community about the replacement scheme, Mr Baillieu has remained silent.
“Victorians are being kept in the dark by this lazy, do-nothing government.
“The community wants to know the basics, such as who will pay the levy, how much will it cost and how will it be collected?
“The Baillieu Government must simply fulfil its own commitment – nothing more, nothing less – because at the moment Mr Baillieu hasn’t achieved a thing.
“Victorians deserve better than this.”