South Australian families are being warned about the ‘horror’ risk of higher taxes, charges and hip-pocket pain – including massive hikes to water, power and ESL bills – if Labor is elected, as part of a new Liberal Party public information campaign airing from tonight.
Treasurer Rob Lucas said Mr Malinauskas’ reckless spending spree – racking up more than $3 billion in promises in just over a week – will absolutely smash the budgets of struggling households and businesses through higher taxes, charges and levies.
“Struggling families and businesses deserve to know the horror show they will confront if Labor is elected because, ultimately, someone’s got to pay for Mr Malinauskas’ billions and billions in uncosted promises… and that’s going to be them,” Mr Lucas said.
“South Australians simply can’t afford to go back to Labor.
“There’s only one way Labor can possibly pay for their billions in election announcements and still achieve a budget surplus and that’s by slugging families and businesses through higher water bills, higher power bills, and by massively jacking up the ESL – which is exactly what we saw under the former Labor government.”
The new Liberal Party TV ad, which airs from tonight, warns:
“… when Labor spends big, it’s South Australians who always pay the bill.
“Why risk higher taxes and higher charges driving up your household bills?
“Why risk your future by going back to Labor?”
Mr Lucas said under the former Labor government:
- Average household water bills in SA rose from $236 in 2001-02 to an estimated $782 in 2017-18 – an increase of 232 per cent
- Average electricity prices skyrocketed by $477 in the last two years of the former Labor government
- There were massive hikes to the Emergency Services Levy
- Payroll tax – effectively a tax on jobs – was paid by all South Australian small businesses, costing up to $44,500 extra a year
- Investors paid a national high rate of land tax rate of 3.7 per cent, turning away investors from creating jobs in SA
“By contrast, average South Australian household costs are now about $1,092 per year lower than under the former Labor government due to lower ESL bills, water and electricity bills, CTP costs and higher sports voucher payment.”
“We have also announced a re-elected Marshall Liberal Government will save families $100 each year for two years off the cost of the Materials and Services charge for eligible public-school parents, to help lower household costs as we emerge from COVID.
“And in our first year, we abolished payroll tax for all small businesses – saving them up to $44,500 a year.
“A re-elected Liberal Government will continue to back business and create jobs by removing payroll tax on all trainees and apprentices for two years, saving employers an estimated $18.2 million.”
The 30 second TV ad can be viewed at: youtube.com/watch?v=9t0OttCtAKM