Dear Sir,
The emergency sitting of the Victorian Parliament is a critical opportunity to give our communities a voice during the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak. With the State of Emergency now in place until May 11, the sitting of Parliament on April 23 is our one chance to pass necessary legislation to keep our communities running. Changes to the Local Government Act that will allow councils to hold their meetings via video teleconference, instead of face-to-face, must be on the agenda. Without the Andrews Government’s support for this change proposed by the Liberal Nationals, our councils won’t be able to meet to make decisions.
Other key measures, including a payroll tax exemption on the Federal Government’s JobKeeper payments and changes to land tax, will ensure there is assistance to keep Victorians in work and the doors of our small businesses open. Unfortunately, never before has a state government had so much power over the lives of Victorians. Since the Victorian Parliament was put on hold four weeks ago the Federal Parliament has sat twice and other State Parliaments have met.
There must be checks and balances in place to ensure the Andrews Government remains accountable to the public. The Liberal Nationals will also seek support for a joint house committee of Parliament to be established to ensure the best interests of Victorians are protected.
Yours etc,
Peter Walsh
Member for Murray Plains
Leader of The Nationals