Media release – Small Business Council of Tasmania, 26 October 23
ELLIS CONFIRMS $10 MILLION FIRE TAX GRAB, BUSINESS TO BEAR THE BRUNT
The Small Business Council of Tasmania has today expressed deep concern about the Government’s proposed fire tax, after Minister Ellis today confirmed that it will raise some $10 million more per year than the current arrangements.
“It is deeply concerning that rather than being about equalising the system as the Minister has previously claimed, he’s now admitted that his changes will actually mean a $10 million per year increase in the amount collected for the fire levy”, said Robert Mallett, TSCBC CEO.
“Worse, it seems clear that it will be business who will bear the brunt of these increased costs.
“For example, the Minister didn’t dispute claims that a commercial property in Kingborough will face an increase from $2,500 to $34,000 – that’s a massive 1360 per cent increase.
“It’s all very well for the Minister to try and claim that big property owners can afford to pay these extraordinary increases, but it’s an iron-clad law of business that commercial property owners will pass these increased costs through to their small business tenants through higher rents and leases.
“Small businesses are already dealing with an increasing challenge of the cost of doing business, uncertain energy prices, stubbornly high inflation, rising interest rates – and now the Minister wants to slug us with a new fire tax. It’s madness.
“Small business literally cannot afford the Minister’s new fire tax – we call on him to immediately dump it, and head back to the drawing board.”
Media release – Shane Broad MP, Shadow Treasurer, 25 October 2023
Minister needs to drop his Fire tax
The Liberal Government’s plan to introduce a new Fire Tax has also been met with hostility by all stakeholders.
Today the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Felix Ellis has admitted his unpopular plan for a fire tax hasn’t been well received, leaving open the possibility he may be walking away from it sooner rather than later.
Tasmanians are already struggling with the cost of living, and now Felix Ellis and Jeremy Rockliff plan on imposing one of the biggest tax increases in living memory.
We also know the proposals from the inexperienced Minister Ellis are not equitable.
The TFS needs reform, but imposing a big new tax on Tasmanians is not the way to do it.
The Minister has tried to front the media with false bravado, talking up his plans, but it is clear his fire tax is going down about as well as Nic Street’s proposed forced Local Government amalgamations.
How much longer can Felix Ellis go on before his boss, Jeremy Rockliff, pulls the pin on him too?
Only time will tell.
In the meantime our TFS needs reform that is in their interests and has the support of our dedicated firefighters, industries and community.
The current fire tax has none.
Media release – Felix Ellis, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, 25 October 2023
Tasmanian firefighters the loser, as Labor infighting continues
The Rockliff Liberal Government is acting to secure our fire and emergency services for the challenges of the future.
Fresh out of hiding, the Opposition Treasury spokesman comments on vital Tasmania Fire and Emergency services reform are unfortunately devoid of both substance and logic.
Just today, the United Firefighters Union (UFU) explained how the SES and TFS needed critical funding, to deal with the fires, floods and emergency events of the future.
Why hasn’t Mr Broad asked the firefighters what they want before taking this cheap political stand?
From Michelle O’Byrne’s noteworthy silence on the issue, his comments clearly go against the position of the Shadow Minister for Police, Fire & Emergency Management.
The internal divisions within the Tasmanian Labor Party appear ready to bubble over once again.
One thing the Opposition did get right was that there is need for reform.
However, in typical Labor fashion they have no plan and won’t commit to any credible path forward.
What is our Shadow Treasurer’s solution?
Tasmanian Labor’s toxic negativity shouldn’t extend to preventing our emergency services personnel from keeping Tasmanians safe.
Unfortunately for Tasmania, it appears that there’s nothing this Opposition won’t oppose for political reasons, until the inevitable BecFlip occurs under the cover of darkness.
In contrast, this Government’s reforms will set Tasmania’s emergency services up for the future of increasing fires, floods and emergency events.
Further information
Labor Myth 1 – “The Government is proposing a new tax”: The Government is abolishing one of three levies for the TFS (the insurance levy) and reforming the remaining property and motor vehicle levies to make them fairer and simpler.
Labor Myth 2 – “The proposed changes are a big revenue increase”: The insurance and property levies raised $94 million in the last financial year. Under the proposal it is expected that the total raised will be $105 million recognising the increase in extreme weather events and natural disaster risk. This is about setting the fire and emergency services up for the future.
Labor Myth 3 – “The proposed changes are not equitable”: The proposed changes, as noted by the United Firefighters Union just today, equalise rates across Tasmania so that people with similar properties pay the same rates.
Labor Myth 4 – “There is no support for these reforms”: This is the second time today that Dr Broad has been called out for making disparaging and generalised comments about Tasmanians, embarrassingly forgetting the firefighters and emergency services who these reforms are for so they can save lives.
