Bracks Watch

Bracks Stops Charity With Fifteen-Fold Rise In Land Tax

Bracks' land tax grab, which has seen land taxes triple under his watch, continues. The Herald Sun reports that Hambleton House, a facility that houses 31 elderly and mentally ill residents, faces a fifteen fold increase in it's land tax from $2700 two years ago to $45,000 (almost $1500 a resident) this year.

Surely the Bracks government can see that the costs to the State of caring for these 31 high needs individuals elsewhere will make $45,000 look like a drop in the ocean? However it would seem not, apparently until two months ago private aged care facilities were exempted from the tax, but are now subject to it thanks to a "policy shift".

All the government could do when it hit the media this weekend was to roll out spokesperson Brent Hooley. When the rubber hits the road, you aren't going to see Steve getting up and explaining the government's decisions, he'd rather greet Princess Mary, go to the Grand Prix or daydream about opening the Commonwealth Games.

Rolling in money taken from Victorians, the Bracks government is still obsessed with revenue, gutting our small businesses & charities with exhorbitant increases in land tax and bickering with the Commonwealth about GST revenue. Are they just trying to overcompensate for the Cain/Kirner years, or is there more to this? What do they need all the money for? What dirty little secrets don't we know about, that require all this cash?

posted by JP @ 4:10 PM