Emergency Services Levy

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:05): My question is directed to the Minister for Emergency Services, without explanation. Can the minister inform the council whether there were any significant one-off events in the past year that the government will seek to recover through a one-off increased emergency services levy?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:06): I have already articulated in this place a number of times the government's attitude towards the emergency services levy. I do not intend to go through it all again, but, in essence, the government's priority is making sure that our emergency services have all the equipment and training and kit that they reasonably need to be able to keep the South Australian community safe when they are responding to emergencies, but in the process also being able to keep themselves safe. I think that is particularly important for the thousands of volunteers who put themselves in harm's way.

Through the budget process, of course, the government will be considering a whole range of questions when it comes to taxation generally, and the emergency services levy is part of the decision we made in that context. Of course, as always, being a government that provides a lot of consideration and thought to the men and women and families who have to pay these levies, particularly something like the emergency services levy, which is paid by so many householders across our state, the government considers the impact it will have on them too.

We think that we have the balance right, up to this point, regarding the emergency services levy. You need only speak to any of the volunteers who will be the beneficiary of the government's substantial investments in the emergency services sector and ask them what they think of the ESL and the way it has been applied, and I think most of them would attest to the fact that it has been done in a way that represents good value for the South Australian taxpayer, and that is something that we intend to continue into the future.