David Davis MP

Revelations the Water Minister and Treasurer spent more than $93,000 of taxpayer’s money on United States junkets is a slap in the face for Victorians who, from today, will face hikes in waterbills and other government fees, fines and charges.

Water Minister Tim Holding and a staffer spent two weeks in the United States from 12 to 26 January, charging the taxpayer $23,639.70 for airfares, $11,883.93 for accommodation, and $16,369.13 for expenses.

Treasurer John Lenders and a staffer spent two weeks in the United States from 16-29 January, charging the taxpayer $24,416.90 for airfares, $9,754.12 for accommodation and $7,037.50 for expenses.

In June last year Premier John Brumby also jetted off to the United States, costing the taxpayer $78,905.50.

Shadow Minister Responsible for Scrutiny of Government David Davis said Tim Holding was willing to spend more than $50,000 on an overseas trip, yet people in Victoria were facing an increase in their water bills of 20 per cent.

“There is something very wrong when Water Minister Tim Holding says $100 hikes in water bills are justified, then he splurges what a lot of Victorian families earn in a year on an overseas junket,” Mr Davis said.

Tim Holding’s junket spree:

 The water bill price hikes Tim Holding believes are justified:

Essential Services Commission fact sheet 1, June 2009, Typical household – 165kL consumption per year (Does not include CPI)

Mr Davis said the Water Minister’s junket was particularly heartless considering the Brumby Government today cut off funds for 10 of 13 crucial drought support programs for farmers and small businesses in drought-affected areas including the Drought Health Services and Community Support, the Municipal Rates Subsidy, the Drought Employment Program, the Drought Apprenticeship Retention Bonus and the Drought Extension Support.

“Yesterday the Bureau of Meteorology announced that parts of Victoria are suffering their driest first half of the year in more than four decades, and today Goulburn-Murray Water announced that irrigators in Northern Victoria will start this year with no water (zero per cent allocation) and that there isn’t even enough water in storage to meet the requirements to operate the irrigation system,” Mr Davis said.

Today also marks an unprecedented hike in fees, fines and charges with Labor slugging Victorians an increase at a rate higher than CPI – a decision made at the discretion of Treasurer John Lenders.

The Treasurer’s increase, over and above CPI, will skim another $8.8 million from family budgets for motor vehicle and motorcycle registrations, boating, fishing and shooting licences, cat and dog registrations, court fees and charges, registration of births, registering and renewal of business names, builder registrations, traffic offences, and speeding fines.

Mr Davis said this was the second time in as many years that the Brumby Government had hiked up fees on July 1, but the first time the Treasurer had slugged Victorians more than CPI.

“Since its introduction in 2004, Labor has been justifying the annual indexation of fees and fines as fair because it reflected inflation and the increase in the ordinary cost of living,” Mr Davis said.

“There is something very wrong when the Treasurer uses his discretion to introduce an unprecedented hike in fees, fines and charges, all the while expecting the public purse to cover his $40,000 junket to the United States,” Mr Davis said.

Treasurer’s junkets:

How the Treasurer will skim another $8.8m with unprecedented hikes in fees, fines and charges: