Less than a week after being installed as Premier, Jacinta Allan has already torched Victoria’s property industry by secretly introducing more new taxes.
A furious property industry turned on the Labor Government after it announced it wouldexpand the Vacant Residential Land Tax to become a statewide tax and alsobroaden the tax to include land waiting to be developed.
They are the 51st and 52nd new or increased taxes introduced by Labor since 2014. Worst still, the Allan Government has today failed to rule out the introduction of up to 10 further taxes on the property sector as part of new legislation introduced into the Parliament today.
The Property Council of Australia today said its partnership announced with the Government when it released its housing statement two weeks ago had been “set on fire”.
Property Council of Australia CEO Mike Zorbas said the hidden tax grabs were “a major trust burner”.
Mr Zorbas said: “Here’s a tip for state governments trying to reach ambitious housing goals in partnership. Don’t do a Victoria.”
Real Estate Institute of Victoria CEO, Quentin Kilian, said he was “disgusted by the fact we’ve not been engaged.”
Shadow Treasurer, Brad Rowswell, said: “The first act of Victoria’s newly minted Minister for Economic Growth Tim Pallas is to announce new and increased taxes, without consultation or any explanation as to how this will help Victorians struggling to afford a home.”
“Victoria is broke and Labor’s only plan for ‘economic growth’ is to tax Victorians more.”
Shadow Minister for Planning, James Newbury, said: “Within days of becoming Premier, Jacinta Allan has burnt the State Government’s relationship with the property industry.
“Labor are the architects of the housing crisis in Victoria and now want to kill the industry through manic announcements of secret new taxes. The property industry should not trust Jacinta Allan and neither should Victorians”.
